Crash Bandicoot 5: Speed of Desire
by Bandi-cute
Summary: The world is threatened again, this time by a most dastardly alien named Oxide. Crash and his companions must compete against one another to drive the threat away and get a hold of first prize: A planet decimating device.
1. Prologue: A Worthy Challenge

**Crash Bandicoot 5:**

_Speed of Desire_

**Prologue- A Worthy Challenge**

The infinity of space was silent. The earth, cradled in an embrace of shimmering stars, appeared serenely peaceful in the quietness. Not far from the planet's glowing blue and white atmosphere were the ruins of a demolished space station. It floated in dead space, charred and blemished with jagged edges. This station had been uninhabited for a month since the embarrassing desecration at the hands of a bandicoot. Three bandicoots, to be positively precise. Since then, the station was empty until it could be rebuilt.

Yet this heap of broken metal floating from such a pristine target did not concern the certain individual who was currently admiring the sphere so radiant with life. He tilted his head to the side, and stroked his long tubular mouth with interest. For a long while now, he had been searching the galaxy for fast creatures that could match his skill. Before he could dub himself the fastest being in the universe, he had to first conquer every galaxy. He had done so already, and to his disappointment none of them had proven much of a challenge. Granted, he still had many galaxies to go once he conquered this one.

Stationed in a massive dreadnaught of a star ship, Nitrus Oxide gazed across the controls in front of him. Now how did these creatures evolve in their modes of communication? Oxide sent out a search beacon to connect with a visual device so that he might take a look at the inhabitance of the planet called earth. As he waited for the beacon to fetch a compatible signal, Oxide thought back to his previous competitions. He had never been one to stand incompetence, and therefore when he would run out of racers on a planet to challenge him, he would decimate it. Such mediocrity didn't deserve to exist anyway. Oxide clicked his fingers on the dash of his ship before turning toward the sharp wailing that cut through the silence.

The signal was coming from the abandoned space station. Oxide drew back his brow in confusion. That perplexity did not, however, curb his desire for knowledge. He activated the channel, and found that although he hadn't a live camera of the happenings on the surface, he did have access to many confidential files. It was absurdly simple for Oxide to crack the codes and enter the files. He sat back in preparation for boredom. What he got was much more enjoyable.

He had apparently stolen copies of surveillance cameras that had been located on the space station. Accessing one, he watched the screen flicker and then materialize before him. The scene demonstrated an odd looking creature, something of a bipedal orange rodent, dashing through the metallic halls of a space station. His eyes were glowing with a strange magenta shimmer, which made Oxide's brow furrow in bewilderment. He clicked another file, and this time he viewed the same creature, only this time he was battling another rodent-like creature. This new appearance was dressed in a sharp striped suit, and was wrestling with his opponent to gain control over a mediocre automatic weapon. In another clip, he saw a new character, a tall slender female of the same species and colour as the first creature Oxide beheld. In another access, Oxide saw a young blond-haired girl with the same dark orange fur. He quickly skipped through the files to the most recent connection. He accessed it with the easy click of a button. Now, he saw the male orange rodent immersed in a serious duel with a large, well muscled creature coated in claret fur. This creature's right arm was mechanical, and although his massive size dwarfed his smaller opponent, the orange walking rodent was able to defeat his enemy. There were a few more minutes of blank tape, and at that time, Oxide switched it off.

He scratched his head in confusion. He had seen a few planets where the inhabitance had animal characteristics, but from his previous studying of earth's main population, Oxide had been expecting homo sapiens. It took a quick scan of research to discover that his first thought had been correct. It appeared that human beings made up the largest portion of this world, yet there was a small amount of intelligent anthropoids situated on a cluster of small islands. From the records, these creatures were virtually unknown by the humans. Oxide grinned fiendishly. He ultimately decided, then and there, that he would race no other on the planet than those half-evolved creatures. To him, they seemed to be the only batch of miserable earth-dwellers that were worthy of his attention.


	2. Chapter 1: A Vaster Inhabitance

**Chapter One- A Vaster Inhabitance**

Somehow, Coco had succeeded in rousing her brother and recruiting Crunch to take a walk to the beach with her. With Crash's consistently lengthy sleeping habits, and Crunch's tight workout routine Coco was usually left alone most of the time. Tired of having nothing to keep her company but her computer, Coco took it upon herself to gather her bandicoot counterparts. She stomped toward Crash's favorite resting place, and to her utter surprise she found Crunch there as well, lazing in the sun.

"Guys, you've been on your butts for too long. Let's go for a swim or something."

Crash mumbled something incoherent, and Crunch didn't bother moving. Coco pursed her lips in anger and focused her rage on Crunch.

"Crunch, I thought you were all into physical activity."

Crunch's eyes remained closed, and he made the slightest gesture toward Crash.

"He's infectious."

Coco groaned, and then took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She was appalled how Crash could waste a beautiful day like this. Although Crunch had already been up at the crack of dawn to run, he was wasting all that work by laying in a half-awake slump under a tree. Coco held her temper for as long as possible, but it couldn't last.

"Both of you…get up NOW!"

Now the three of them were walking at an energetic pace toward the beach. Crash was still stumbling and rubbing sleep from his eyes, while Crunch marched perfectly erect and alert. Coco was quite baffled at how different Crash was from their gloomy, disciplined companion. As they wandered through the jungle in Coco's chosen direction, the young bandicoot girl felt her ears prickle with tension. She slowed down, and jumped when Crunch bumped into her and snarled quietly,

"Keep walking."

Coco obeyed, turning her head slightly to catch a glimpse of what was causing her heart to pound. Something was following them. Crash, oblivious, continued to walk, yawn and stretch as though he hadn't a care in the world. Who was she kidding? He didn't have a care in the world. Coco continued to walk with stiff steps, feeling a welcome sense of protection with Crunch behind her. Suddenly, Crunch disappeared, leaving only a slight draft as evidence of his rapid movement. Coco whirled around, and gasped as Crunch leapt into the jungle underbrush, vanishing into the vegetation. A split second later, a body was tossed from behind the trees, landing hard on his back just in front of Coco and Crash. Crash scratched his head in perplexity.

"Ouch."

The creature below them gasped desperate inhales, the wind obviously knocked out of him. From what Coco could detect, the creature was an anthropoid. Like them, he was shaped like a human but possessed decidedly animal attributes. He was completely covered in short grey fur and his long snout and large ears indicated he was some kind of marsupial, but defiantly not a bandicoot. Crunch stomped out from behind the trees, face expressionless. Coco looked down at the sprawled anthro with a look of concern.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." The unknown creature struggled to a sitting position, and rubbed one shoulder. "Although, I don't appreciate nearly having my arm torn off."

Crunch buried his hands in his pockets. "Who are you and why were you following us?"

He shrugged. "I wasn't following-"

Crunch took one powerful step forward, causing the new guest to shut his mouth quickly. Crunch adopted the tightest and meanest of smiles.

"Don't fib fella, it's not worth it."

Coco was still struck with surprise, but her shock intensified when she saw a figure appear behind Crunch. This creature was armed with a heavy log, and brought it over his head to strike down.

"Crunch!" Coco squealed, pointing behind him.

The thick branch could have easily connected, if Crash hadn't dropped from the trees and landed square on the attacker's shoulders. They both went down, but Crash remained in an upright position, sitting pleasantly on the chest of the enemy. Crash smiled.

"You know, assaults like that aren't going to win you any community prizes."

The trapped anthro grumbled something crude, and struggled beneath Crash's slight weight. Coco guessed that this guy was strong enough to toss her brother off of him, yet with Crunch standing just behind them, he wasn't willing to take any chances. This anthropoid man appeared far older than Crash and even Crunch, but judging by his ragged and stony expression he was not too old to put up a good fight.

"Who are you?" The older man snarled at Crash.

Crash looked surprised, and then a little hurt. "You don't know me? I'll have to hire a new campaign manager."

Crunch knelt down beside the old anthro, still keeping an eye on the other stranger.

"You're not in the position to ask any questions."

A moment later the old stranger chirped a high pitched whistle. From out of the trees, a dozen or so anthropoid creatures skulked into the clearing. Each bore some type of weapon, some a spear, and some a bow and arrow. Each weapon was aimed at the three surrounded bandicoots.

"Neither are you." The stranger spoke through a grin.

Coco backed toward Crunch, scanning but not seeing any opening in the attackers' defense. These guys were pretty good. Yet if they were this good at cornering a quarry, she supposed with a cold feeling that their weapons were not brandished without serious training. They looked to be in a bit of trouble.

Suddenly a golden light shimmered from the sky, heading straight for the inevitable confrontation. Coco sighed in relief as Aku Aku revealed himself, a stern expression on his normally serene face.

"What is the meaning of this?" Aku demanded, looking directly at the man Crash was still sitting on.

The man scoffed. "And who are you supposed to be?"

"I am Aku Aku, defender of this island. I am also the guardian of these young bandicoots. What business do you have here?"

The stranger offered a strange grin. "I am here to relocate my people. Our previous home was overrun."

Aku's face softened slightly. "Crash, get off him."

Crash grumbled, but obeyed. The muscular grey outsider got to his feet and brushed himself off. Aku still had his gaze set on him.

"You traveled from the centre island?"

The man nodded curtly. "That's right."

Aku closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again with not a trace of hostility.

"Of course. It hadn't even crossed my mind that the contamination affected the other islands as well. Are you the only tribe from the centre island?"

"The only one we know of. We formed a clan a few years ago for security, and times have been tough on that island. Many were lost during the crossing."

"What species of anthro are you?" Coco asked quietly, aggrieved at their loss, but striving to keep the line of questioning going.

The old man looked at her as though he hadn't noticed her there. His cold eyes softened.

"We're a bilby clan."

Crash was looking particularly nervous standing beside Crunch, and the latter twitched in irritation.

"Hey, before we continue with this drawn-out intro, yah'think you can tell your goons to back off?"

The ice returned to the stranger's eyes, but he looked abashed that he had forgotten to call his troops off. They were still standing in formation with weapons raised.

"Stand down." He ordered gruffly, and without hesitation they obeyed.

The outsider turned back to Aku, obviously considering him the leader of the small bandicoot group.

"I would like to request a portion of land on this island for my clan to live."

The island was large, so Coco knew that Aku would not object, especially when they had nowhere else to go.

"Of course, this island is spacious enough for us all."

The stranger's stiff posture began to loosen as he started to relax. He turned toward Crash, Crunch and Coco.

"Under these new circumstances, I must apologize for my behavior. Allow me to introduce myself. I am called Jovan."

Crash leaned forward with a pleasant grin and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, name's Crash."

Jovan nodded politely and clasped his hand. Coco took a small step forward nervously.

"My name's Coco."

Jovan gave her the same warm look he had before, and she felt instantly comforted. When Crunch did not speak, Coco turned toward him slowly. His brow was furrowed and he was looking in the other direction. Coco gave him a slight shove, but he didn't relent.

_Stubborn idiot._

"This is Crunch." Coco provided to the bilby.

Jovan nodded politely.

"Well, with the introductions out of the way, I think it is time for us to go. It has been a long journey for my clan and they need rest."

"By all means." Aku Aku was a cordial host.

Jovan leaned into a slight bow to the three bandicoots.

"Pleasure to meet you all."

Before anyone could return the sentiment, Jovan turned to the gathered clan still in a semi-circle formation.

"Move out." He barked, and as quick as they had first appeared, the bilbies were gone.

Crash watched the clan fade into the undergrowth, and then scratched his head in bewilderment.

"Well, that's the oddest thing I've seen in a long while."

"It appears that there are a far larger number of affected creatures than I realized." Aku mused. "Although there are not many single evolved creatures on this island, my powers are limited and in some places extinguished on the centre island."

"N. Tensity Island?" Coco asked thoughtfully.

She had often heard it called that, mostly in Cortex's archives but also from her brother's experience on the large and most dangerous island. Aku nodded.

"That is the name it is referred as presently, however its origin dates back hundreds of years. No one is sure what its old name was. However, at the realization there are more evolved species out there, I think it only proper for us to gather them together."

"What? Why'd we do that?" Crash asked dumbstruck.

"Forget it." Crunch was, as usual, far more blunt.

"If there are other intelligent creatures out there, we should bring them together if only to see how many of us were affected. We don't want any clans taking over others." Coco spoke as matter-of-factly as possible. Yet she already knew that her male companions were not going to go along with it.

"Let them do what they want. Unless they bother us, there's no reason to try and develop some kind of mutant community."

Crash yawned, obviously bored with the entire situation.

"Well, if our excursion to the beach is cancelled, I think I'd better get back to sleeping."

Giving a long stretch Crash started off toward the house.

"Give me a call when it's all sorted out."


	3. Chapter 2: A Serious Challange

**Chapter Two- A Serious Challenge**

Crash sat back in the soft folds of the couch, resting his chin on his folded arms tiredly. Coco had wanted to assist Aku in scanning the island for any more evolved life, but the old mask had gently urged her to follow Crash and Crunch back to the house. So now she was pacing across the living room floor, her arms folded and her brow furrowed. Crash rolled onto his back with a groan.

"Would you quit moving around? You're giving me motion sickness."

Surprisingly, Coco didn't even stop to glare at him. She was tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"What if there is an entire civilization of evolved animals that we didn't even know about. We had always thought we were the only ones."

"I didn't give it much thought, actually." Crash rolled onto his side, burrowing his muzzle into the comfortable cushions.

"What will we do if Aku finds a larger population?"

"My guess is…nothing." Crunch offered from his position on the floor.

"Righto pal." Crash flipped his arm around blindly to offer his friend a pleasant pat on the shoulder. "That's exactly what we do."

Crunch growled as Crash missed his mark and stuck him against the side of the head.

"If you want to keep that hand, you'll get it out of my face." Crunch warned menacingly.

Crash reclaimed his hand with a snort. "Grouchy."

Coco finally quit pacing and stood in a powerfully angry stance before her two motionless roommates.

"This is a serious situation you nimrods."

"How is it?" Crunch asked impassively. "If the island is more populated than we first thought, it isn't going to affect us at all. You'll still fiddle with your inventions, I'll still continue my daily exercises and Crash-"

"Will continue to sleep without complaint." Crash piped without moving.

"Exactly. So don't worry about it Coco. Nothing will change."

Coco sat down on one of the chairs, her forehead clear of distressed furrows. It wasn't the fact that these new neighbors would take anything away from their present lifestyle, but the concept was baffling. New anthro creatures on the islands? It was extraordinary. Coco closed her eyes and rested her head back on the chair. Crash bent his knee as though unconsciously, and his big sneaker hovered before Crunch's nose. Crunch's lip curled into a scowl.

"Damn it Crash-"

Before Crunch could properly take out his frustration on his pint-sized companion, Aku burst through the door, looking completely ecstatic.

"What's the word Doc?" Crash still didn't bother raising his head.

"It's extraordinary." Aku exclaimed excitedly. "I haven't the faintest idea how this could have happened."

"Spit it out." Crunch said, irritated.

"N. Sanity Island has been populated with dozens of newly evolved animals. It had been to my knowledge that the toxic spill extracted from Cortex Castle had been permanently washed away, but it appears that the contamination has spread. It is affecting many creatures of the island, transforming them into bipeds."

"Looks like we've started a trend." Crash said pleasantly, rolling onto his back and stretching out his legs.

"So did you meet any of them Aku?" Coco asked eagerly, leaning forward on her knees.

Aku's excitement was starting to dwindle, and it appeared he was giving some unknown issue plenty of thought. A moment of silent passed, and Aku hadn't shown any evidence of answering Coco's question. Finally, he snapped out of it.

"Oh, I'm sorry Coco. What did you say?"

Coco paused before repeating. "Did you meet anyone?"

"As a matter of fact, I have. It is strange, but it seems that the contamination is triggering animals in their adolescent or adult stage. It would be beneficial for you three to introduce yourselves to these new members of our jungle home."

Crash rolled back onto his side. "I'll take a rain check on that."

"I'd love to meet some other anthros who aren't dumb boys. Did you see any girls Aku?"

Aku smiled. "I did Coco, but none around your age group. You seem to be the youngest anthropoid evolved on this island at present."

Coco was visibly dejected, but shook it off.

"Could you gather everyone together so we can meet them?"

Aku looked doubtful. "Many have taken up living on their own or with a few others, like you have. But I'll see what I can do. It would be grand to collect all the inhabitants together for a communal meeting."

--

After Aku's departure, Coco had scurried off to her laboratory. She was a girl unable to be idle, as oppose to her brother who was the exact opposite. He was still lying in the precise spot since the commotion had ended, still stationary, and still horizontal. Crunch was still sitting on the floor with a ridged posture (though he had moved to a different area due to Crash's irritating movements) and was busy fiddling with his mechanical arm. After his departure from Cortex's space station, the artificial appendage that replaced Crunch's right arm had been giving him an increasing amount of trouble. He had politely refused Coco's request to tweak it, for then he hadn't been acquainted with her for very long. Now, he believed the assistance of a brilliant mechanic was worth sucking up his pride to ask for. The room had been silent for several minutes, save for the soft whirring of Crunch's arm, until Coco burst through the door, eyes wild.

"Crash!"

The exclamation hit the silence like a battering ram, and in an instant Crunch was on his feet and Crash had inadvertently rolled to the floor. Crash fumbled for balance, but failed and sat there half-asleep on the floor. Crash opened his mouth to make some sort of doubtlessly sarcastic comment, but Coco cut him off.

"No time Crash. Come with me now."

Coco turned and dashed out the door. Crash glanced up at Crunch, and the latter shrugged. Coco's voice sounded urgent, so Crash ignored his instinct to hang back and take his time. Crunch heaved Crash to his feet and the two of them jogged toward Coco's lab.

--

The two male bandicoots dashed over the debris-littered clearing and burst into the open laboratory. Coco's eyes were transfixed on a figure illuminating her computer screen. When she sensed their movement at her door, she turned and gestured madly toward the screen. Crash didn't pick up his speed, knowing that nothing could be so horrible that he'd have to break a sweat for it. Crunch made it to Coco's side before Crash, and he frowned as he looked at the screen.

"Who the hell is that guy?"

Coco was still stuck in a balance between mesmerized amazement and horror. "I…don't know."

"Already guys, step aside and let the bandicoot hero take control here."

Now Crash absorbed what was playing on the screen. Both his eyebrows shot up in bewilderment. The creature portrayed on the computer screen was the strangest entity Crash had ever seen. The creature was staring through to them, and Crash was instantly disconcerted.

"It can't see us, can it?" Crash whispered behind a shielded hand.

"He shouldn't be able too, but I really don't know." Coco shrugged helplessly.

Crash clicked his tongue, and faced the screen. The creature's long trunk of a snout swayed back and forth as he waited.

"I demand to speak to the evolved earth-dwelling creature called Crash Bandicoot."

Crash swallowed nervously, but banished his uneasiness and clicked a button.

"You're talking to him now Mr…long nose man. What's on your mind?"

The narrow snout twitched slightly, offering a motion of bewilderment. Then his small mouth curled into a sneer.

"I am Nitrous Oxide. I have traveled over the universe to find combatants worthy enough to test my skill. Though I do not find you particularly more challenging than the other creatures I faced, you are perhaps the only one worthy of my attention."

Crash grinned. "Well, I'm flattered pal. What exactly am I worthy of doing?"

The alien didn't seem to catch Crash's sarcasm.

"I have carried the title of fastest racer in the galaxy, and I am constantly searching for one who can test me. I have yet to find anyone who deserves recognition." The alien, Oxide, lifted one finger and pointed it directly at the screen. "I will challenge the fastest creature of your world, and if you manage to best me, I will offer you the means to destroy a planet."

Crash stiffened, and he heard Coco utter a small gasp. "Destroy a planet? That's a pretty morbid prize. So what happens if you win?"

Oxide grinned, so wickedly that Crash felt a shiver dance up his spine. "If I win, I will wipe out every last life-form on your pathetic planet. I will leave yours as I have left others. Barren and lifeless. You have a week to decide your combatant, and then we will speak again."

With that last statement, Oxide's odd mug faded from the screen. The three bandicoots were silent, no one ready to speak first. Crash grumbled.

"Well, that was rather clear-cut."

"And harsh." Crunch added, scratching his head with his metal arm.

"What should we do?" Coco asked hesitantly. "We only have a week to conjure a plan to stop him."

"Oh, I'm not worried about the plan." Crash said. "Our green prospective invader made his demands and intentions quite clear."

"Again, what should we do?" Coco demanded, more forcefully this time.

Crash tapped his chin as he pondered. Then he shrugged his shoulders and started toward the door."First things first. We better get our furry relatives together and get practicing."

--

"You have one week to decide your combatant, and then we will speak again."

Cortex reached over and flicked the monitor off, and the room was basked in dim light once again. Behind him, Dr. N. Gin fidgeted nervously. Yet Cortex couldn't be more excited, although he refrained from betraying his anticipation to his anxious companion. This invader from outer space had the means to destroy a planet! That was the best news Cortex had heard in a long time. If he was to ever make amends with his dejected self-esteem this grand prize was the way he could go about it. Of course, he wasn't keen on actually using the contraption, but what a joy it would be to threaten the creatures of the world and force them to bow to his bidding. The possibilities were endless.

Cortex turned toward the cyborg, who was still bobbing slightly in uncertainty. "Do you know what this means N. Gin?"

N. Gin swallowed thickly. "I believe I have an idea, Doctor."

"We must be the victors of that race at any cost. I think we can be certain of that wretched bandicoot competing to save the world." Cortex stroked his black beard thoughtfully. "This may prove to be simpler then I first realized. We can destroy Crash Bandicoot and capture the destructor of planets in one swift stroke. I am due for a little success in my career."

"What is your plan, Doctor?" N. Gin asked almost dejectedly.

Cortex ignored his colleague's exasperation. "Come along with me, and I'll enlighten you."


	4. Chapter 3: A Peculiar Gathering

**Chapter Three- A Peculiar Gathering**

Crash Bandicoot was standing in a state of absolute shock as dozens of fur covered humanoids bustled about around him. From what he could see, many of these creatures were lowly rodents such as himself, although he did spy a few felines and even fewer canines wandering about as well. He could feel Crunch at his side, and the larger bandicoot didn't seem particularly surprised at the great number of anthropoids that waited restlessly in the open clearing. From out of the woods, Aku Aku soared to a rocky plateau situated above the din.

"Attention everyone!" Aku called out in a deep voice.

A few creatures stopped and raised their heads, although the noise was still too high a volume for Aku to continue.

"Shut your traps and listen up!"

Now the clearing was dead silent, and most eyes (including Crash's) were glued to the source of the bellowing order. A long-legged female bandicoot was sitting vacantly on one of the surrounding stones. She offered a feral grin, combing slender fingers through shoulder-length black hair.

"All yours buddy."

Aku looked rather perturbed, but he shook it off quickly and addressed the crowd.

"I realize everyone must be feeling in a state of transitional confusion presently, but I assure you that this state will pass quickly. You have all been affected by a contamination that polluted the island's water near three years ago. A rapid evolutionary process then took root, and caused the unnatural rift of a species transition."

There was a moment of silence among the throng, when the same black-haired woman spoke up.

"I think we've got that pretty much figured out, old timer. So I think the question we're all waiting for is: what the hell are we supposed to do now?"

"I'm afraid I cannot offer you a direction in which to guide your new lives." Aku said, apologetic. "You will simply have to adapt in the way you deem most appropriate. Yet I have not gathered you all here without a specific purpose. Our planet is threatened by a sinister power. We have received word that if we do not follow the challenge detailed by the entity who threatens us, our planet will be destroyed."

"Well isn't that just dandy?" The outspoken woman grumbled.

"I'm with her." Crash whispered to Crunch. "This really stinks, and I'm in no mood-"

"Would you stop being a baby?" Crunch growled. "Where do expect to snooze if the earth is reduced to a lifeless pile of ash?"

"Don't worry about me Crunchy. I'll always find a place to sleep." Crash smiled absurdly.

Crunch sighed. "You're missing my point."

"This enemy desires to put on a race of sorts, and challenge our fastest combatant to compete against him. Since you have all retained your animal instincts, you are far faster than any ordinary human could dream to be. That is also the likeliest reason this enemy has made contact with us exclusively.

"Now," Aku made a sound as though he were clearing his throat. "I would be honored to present to you our director of this tournament,"

Crash gritted his teeth.

_If you say my name, I'll pass out._

"Crash Bandicoot."

Crash staggered backward, but Crunch's hulk of a body blocked him from taking off. Crash offered him a scowl, and ignored Crunch's wry smile as he pushed him toward Aku. Crash put his hands in his pockets, and stood above the group of countless eyes. He gulped, and offered a half-hearted wave.

"…uh…hey there."

When Crash realized he wasn't going to find a way out of this, he decided to just get it over with.

"So, I guess you've been informed that we've got a bit of a problem on our hands. That problem is a power-hungry alien hovering above our planet. I'd like to invite anyone who wants to try their luck to enter the contest. When we figure out who the fastest is, he (or she) will take on Oxide. If this jerk wants a race, we'll give him one."

There was a sudden and unexpected round of applause when Crash stepped down, and Crash felt a beaming wave of pride wash over him. Surprisingly, Crunch was smiling, although rather mischievously, when Crash took his place beside him.

"Well what do you know? Crash Bandicoot has a gift for motivational speaking."

Crash returned the smile tightly.

"Didn't really have any jokes on hand, so what can I say?"

Aku had replaced Crash as the focal point of attention.

"I urge anyone who has a desire to keep the planet thriving to join Crash and Crunch in this endeavor."

Crash heard a voice whisper harshly from directly beside him.

"Damn that bastard, why does he always leave me out?"

Crash leaned over without looking at his sister.

"A little hostile, huh?"

Coco snorted, and folded her arms angrily. Aku was still elaborating on the event soon to take place. After a few moments, an evolved kangaroo stood up.

"So what exactly are we racing with? Don't tell me this alien is challenging us to a foot race."

"No, actually, Nitrous Oxide is challenging us to put the speed of a vehicle to the test. Our resident mechanic, Coco Bandicoot, has designed a special blueprint design to create your own vehicle frame, and you can see her about receiving a motor."

"Well, a little recognition is better than nothing." Coco grumbled, and to Crash's surprise she strode right up to stand beside Aku.

"Hey everyone, I'm Coco Bandicoot. For anyone wishing to help us out, and gain the title of fastest racer on…well, the island…I'll need you to come by my lab and pick up a motor. They are very basic, and you are free to do whatever you want to them to make them faster. I also have a design plan for kart frames to be assembled by using anything you can find on the island. I hope you consider joining our cause."

Coco exited the stage and returned to Crash's side. Aku Aku took the floor again.

"To anyone wishing to join our quest, we will be accepting entries all day. You would then have a few days to construct your racing vehicle, and some more time to practice on it. Yet be warned that we must be as quick as possible. Nitrous Oxide has given us but a week to offer our fastest racer. I offer you all good luck in this challenge."

The assembly was quiet for a few seconds, and then the same black-haired she-bandicoot let out a chuckle.

"Well I'd better stick around. This looks like it could get interesting."

--

Crash wasn't really keen on mingling, but since his sister was dragging him into the conversing crowd he had little choice in the matter. It was interesting to see the many different, recently evolved, people that had attended. There were not many bandicoots, only two in fact, although Crash thought he had seen another. These bandicoots were both female, and one was the dark haired girl who was so easy offering in opinion. Crash introduced himself to well over a half dozen people who accepted the challenge and were eager to start creating their kart. Crash offered his thanks to these people, but had been keeping his eye out for any members of the bilby clan. He hadn't seen hide or hair of Jovan, but as he peaked through the crowds he noticed Coco conversing with someone familiar. Crash couldn't be sure, but it looked like the same guy Crunch had tossed out of the woods. The leader of the bilby clan was probably curious about the gathering, and sent his errand boy to gather what information he could. Crash did hope that Jovan entered some of his guys in the race. They all looked to be pretty disciplined, and substantially tough.

Crunch strode up beside him, and offered a quiet snicker. "Looks like Coco's found a friend."

Crash instantly felt his brotherly protective gene flare, and with irritation he noticed that the bilby Coco was chatting with was younger than he had first thought. By Coco's body language, she wasn't talking about mechanics any more. Crash started to stomp forward.

"Pardon me while I strangle a few necks."

Crash felt Crunch's organic hand grasp him by the arm and tug him backward.

"There's no harm in talking, kid. I'll keep an eye on her."

Crash grumbled. "Make sure you keep an eye out on that jerk's paws too."

"I don't think we have to worry about him." Crunch laughed.

The young bilby looked very uncomfortable as Coco became more comfortable talking. His posture was completely ridged, and his eyes were darting back and forth as though searching for a way out. Crash grinned.

"Hey, that's the same look I get when I get caught in Coco's chatter web."

"But he's not trying to wrap up the conversation. He'll get comfortable quickly enough."

Crash threw Crunch the most evil glare he could conjure.

"You better not be encouraging this."

Crunch smiled, offering a few of his sharp canines. "Budding love is unavoidable Crash. You just gotta learn to deal with it."

Crash heard a woman's voice speak next.

"Glad to hear that."

The black haired bandicoot woman strode up to the two. She smiled with a sugary sweetness that made Crash want to wrinkle his nose into a sour expression.

"My name's Liz. I've already heard your name, hero-boy." She gave Crash a wink, and the latter furrowed his brow in confusion. Then she turned her attention to Crunch. "So, what's yours?"

Now Crunch looked uncomfortable, and Crash felt like he was going to burst out laughing. Liz was a very attractive woman, and by the way she moved restlessly it was apparent she had knowledge of the fact. She wore a short purple skirt with a black silver studded belt just cradling her hips. Her green sleeveless shirt was hiked up slightly to reveal a pierced belly button. She repositioned the sunglasses on her head and smiled, waiting for Crunch's answer.

"Crunch." He spoke simply, without a trace of insecurity but not in a conversing tone either.

This didn't deter Liz. "I thought about entering your little race, but I think I'd be more suited to a different position. I'll head up the cheering section, after all, these boys need something to keep their motivation driving forward."

"I think your suggestion may distract them as oppose to helping them." Crunch's voice was crisp in a matter-of-fact tone. Liz obviously noted it, but deliberately misread it just the same.

"Oh, well then you better hope there aren't many girls on the track." Liz's gaze flicked downward, and then back up again and her smile intensified. "You're pretty distracting yourself."

Crash was holding his mouth in attempt to stifle his laughter. A faint blush has arisen to the tops of Crunch's cheeks, and he frowned uncomfortably. Liz giggled and patted him on the shoulder in a friendly gesture. Then she turned to Crash.

"You better tell your friend to watch his back." Liz winked again, and then turned her back and strode away.

The two bandicoots remained in stunned silence of a moment, but it could not last. Crash started laughing madly, and Crunch furrowed his brow so hard that Crash thought his face might split.

"So, what happened to all that budding love Crunch?"

Crunch grimaced. "One-sided feminine bullying is not the same thing."

Crash was about to offer another comment, when he saw a flash of blond hair through the crowd. With an instant surge of excitement, Crash gave Crunch a quick comment.

"You've got to get used to being eye candy my friend. It's a curse."

Before Crunch could make a haughty inevitable reply, Crash had left him and started weaving through the crowd. He had lost sight of the fair hair he was following, and after a few moments of searching he slowed to a stop and scratched his head. He could've sworn…

"What great occasion calls for such a perplexed look Crash?"

Crash almost jumped out of his skin, but calmed down when he realized it was Coco who appeared behind him. Crash turned and offered a quick flash of teeth.

"Nothing really, just thought I saw someone I knew from the old days, that's all."

Crash then noticed the dark furred bilby shifting from one foot to the other at Coco's side. Coco turned toward her companion with a bright smile.

"Crash, I'd like to introduce you to Kieran. He's the clan leader's nephew and he wants to enter the competition."

Kieran glanced up toward Crash with bright silver eyes, and Crash stuffed his hands in his pockets. The bilby inclined his head politely.

"Glad to meet you sir."

Crash felt as though he'd been slapped across the face. His brows shot up in bewilderment, and then he turned toward his sister with a barely restrained smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Did he just call me…sir?"

Coco grinned and patted Kieran on the back playfully. "It was a simple mistake Crash."

Kieran turned from Crash to Coco and then back again. "I…uh…"

"We're just joking with you fella." Crash laughed as his smile broke free of restraint. "Glad to have you aboard."

When Crash extended his hand, Kieran reached out and shook it eagerly. By human standards, Crash was close to nineteen years old. However, although wasn't nearly past his prime, Crash felt slightly ancient compared to Kieran's strong presence and energetic attitude. Crash secretly vowed never to get into a wrestling match with this guy.

"I'm going to give Kieran a hand with his race kart now. So I'll see you in a while big brother."

Crash felt another surge of brotherly protectiveness rattle through him. Crunch, her elected babysitter, was no where to be seen. As Coco and her escort wandered toward the house, Crash called out after her.

"Hey, do you know where Crunch went?"

Coco turned, but continued walking with clumsy backward steps. "I think he's chatting with some girl. She's got black hair and kind of weird lavender eyes."

Crash sighed in exasperation as he watched his sister wander away, far too preoccupied with her new acquaintance. Hesitantly, Crash turned sharply and made his way back to the clearing. Crunch was probably in need of rescuing, once again.


	5. Chapter 4: The Power of Determination

**Chapter Four- The Power of Determination**

Cortex activated the hologram communication device, drumming his fingers on the steel table while he waited for a connection. From what his spies informed him, a large gathering of nature's abominations were preparing to race one another to decide the fastest among them. Cortex didn't really care who won, but he did care about getting his hands on the means to destroy the world. To do so, he had concocted a brilliant plan that would succeed by every imaginable angle. Right now, he needed some insurance. Finally, the connection was made, and a familiar visage appeared on the flickering holo-disk. Cortex smiled graciously.

"Pinstripe Potoroo. How nice to see you again."

The potoroo's eyes widened in slight surprise, but he composed himself and offered a crooked grin.

"Hey Doc, long time no see."

Cortex was really not in the mood for pleasantries, so he got straight to the point.

"I am once again in need of your services my friend."

Pinstripe considered with a pondering expression. "What's the job and how does it pay?"

"You will be compensated handsomely, and the task I require involves a band of fast creatures able to race against Crash Bandicoot and his troupe of misfits."

Pinstripe's face was blank for a moment. "Crash Bandicoot?" Then he burst into laughter. "That little runt's still bothering you? Wow, thought he'd be long gone by now."

Cortex clenched one fist, forcing his anger to remain below the surface. Instead, Cortex smiled tightly.

"The job is yours if you want it."

"Well, I don't know Doc. I'd like to help out just for old time's sake, but I'm pretty busy with an enterprise of my own right now. I can't really afford to leave the club. But…" Pinstripe scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I'd be willing to send you a group of my best guys, and I want the payment in advance. I've got some debts to pay, and I'm tired of having my girlfriend forced to work them off."

Cortex pretended not to understand the implication of Pinstripe's last statement, and nodded his head slowly.

"If your men win this race, your reward will double."

Pinstripe smiled wickedly. "Count me in Doc."

--

It had been a day since the race was scheduled, and Crash was surprised to see people hard at work around every corner. He was getting rather tired watching others tire themselves out, so he started toward his favorite tree. When he wandered into the clearing, he grimaced.

"What the hell…?"

A small group of young anthro men were adding parts to their vehicles, and were taking up every inch of space. Crash couldn't possibly nap here. With a groan, Crash about-faced and started wandering in a different direction. When the constant sounds of clanking metal and roaring motors had faded away, Crash prowled for a new spot to sleep. Then, from out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of burgundy fur. With a smile, Crash started toward one of the larger trees. There was only one guy he knew of with maroon fur like that. When Crash found Crunch lurking, or hiding, behind the trunk he placed his hands on his hips.

"Aren't you a little old for hide and seek?"

Crunch shot him a dangerous look. "That girl won't leave me alone."

Crash nodded, knowing exactly who he was talking about.

"Must be hard being so dang attractive, eh?"

Crunch glared at him again, and Crash decided to change the subject.

"Aren't you supposed to be working on your kart? Or did Mr. Efficient already finish it?"

"Don't worry about me; I've got ten bucks that says you haven't even started the frame for yours."

Crash flinched, and smiled awkwardly. "Well, it just so happens I'm waiting for my creative spurt. I'm planning on making the fastest hot rod you or anyone's ever seen."

"Hot rod?" Crunch raised a skeptical eyebrow.

Crash's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I haven't had my noon nap yet, alright? Don't judge me."

Crunch started tromping away, back toward the house. "Don't tell that girl where I went."

Crash tipped his hand in an affirmative salute. "You got it mate."

Crash started walking in the other direction. His hunger kicked in now and his quest for sleep was postponed until he found suitable nourishment. As he rounded a bend he nearly collided into a slender bandicootess. Liz dipped her head.

"Hey there short stuff. Seen that hunk of rippling muscle around anywhere?"

Crash thought for a moment, and a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Yes, as a matter of fact I saw him walking in that direction." Crash pointed to illustrate. "Toward the house."

Liz grinned, and gave Crash a flirtatious smile.

"Thanks a bunch cutie. See yah."

Liz started striding with a single-minded determination through the underbrush. Crash snickered to himself and continued walking at a quicker pace this time.

--

"Don't you think you should start working on your cart now Crash?"

With a moan Crash carefully rolled over and covered his hands over his head. How'd she find him way up here? He didn't usually make it a practice to sleep on branches due to his inability to remain balanced, but it was one of the few places his sister didn't think to look for him. Crash rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"I'll get around to it."

Coco groaned beneath him. "I know what that means you lazy jerk. You're gonna wait for everyone else to finish and then you're going to say that you ran out of time."

Crash smiled and closed his eyes. "Sounds like a good idea."

"You'd better get down here Crash, or you're coming down the hard way."

Crash sniffed and didn't bother opening his eyes. Coco became unnaturally silent for a few moments, and cautiously Crash opened one eye. To his immediate surprise, one molten gold eye was looking back at him. Both eyes snapped open and the angry expression of a familiar tiger glared not two inches from Crash's nose.

"Yike!"

Crash flipped off the branch and grunted as he landed hard on his stomach. He lay there in a groaning heap until Coco dropped to her knees beside him.

"I told you."

"Well I don't think anything's broken, but thanks for asking."

Pura leapt to the ground softly beside Coco. Crash lifted his head and frowned.

"Thanks a lot furball."

Coco heaved her brother to his feet.

"Come on, I'll help you get started."

Coco led the way in a quick trot as Crash followed more slowly with his hands in his pockets.

"So where's that new friend of yours?"

"Kieran's really determined to finish his racer. A practice track has been laid out, and whoever is taking part in the competition are getting ready to practice. It would suck if you missed it Crash."

"Says you."

Crash was still having a difficult time figuring out why he had to even be a part of this. He'd already saved the world more times then he cared to remember, and the way he figured it, it was someone else's job now. However, he supposed that he'd feel left out if there was a big battle going on without him. Besides, he couldn't have Crunch taking all the credit.

Crash and Coco arrived at her lab, where a graveyard of machine parts lay scattered about her yard. Coco rushed toward a pile of junk and brushed away the access metal and stray wires. What she revealed was a partially constructed little vehicle. Crash crossed his arms.

"Now that's…quaint. Now, where's the racer you started?"

Coco shot him a venomous look. "You've got to finish it off Crash. If you haven't noticed already, I'm entering the race as well and I've got a lot of work to do on my car."

Crash sighed, but he wasn't surprised. "Alrighty, so I just give it a paint job and…"

"No you bone head." Coco said, once again exasperated. "It will run, but you have to make it fast. Clean the engine, add some advancements, anything to make it as fast as possible."

"Sure, got it. I can do that."

Coco grinned. "Good. Now just drag it out of here and get started. You've really got to get practicing."

Crash gave her a subtle salute before heaving his vehicle from out of the yard and down a path. He continued to pull until he was out of his sister's eyesight, and let the car roll to a stop. He gave it a good looking over, flecking his gaze across it without a shred of interest. Then he settled down beside it and lay on his back, beginning to snore even before his head touched the ground.

--

The silence of the jungle air was sharply interrupted by the grating and crashing sounds of karts speeding over the track. Many who had opted to enter the contest were already ready for action, tearing across the beach and through the path in the jungle to warm up the motors. Coco reefed on her wheel, staggered at how difficult it was to steer the bloody thing. When she got back to her house, she'd have to adjust this. At first she wanted power, but as she continued on she realized that her small frame was not strong enough to manage it. She would be far more comfortable in a vehicle she could control.

Now Crunch on the other hand, he could defiantly manage the power. She squinted through the dust, and saw Crunch lingering beside her. Coco smiled. Did he think she was going to blow herself up?

"Crunch!"

The maroon bandicoot turned to face her.

Coco waved a hand. "You'd better not be waiting for me. I'll be fine, let's see how fast your kart can go!"

Crunch tilted his head in an expression of confusion, and then he touched his fingers to his head in a brief affirmative salute. Coco's jaw fell ajar at how fast Crunch sped across the clearing, and in a matter of moments he was completely gone from sight. Coco felt instantly dejected. How could she even consider being a match for these guys? They were going to blow her away. Coco straightened and accelerated her speed. Even if she did come in last, she would still try her hardest to win.

--

Crash woke up to a strange rumbling. At first he expected it was just his hungry stomach, but as he blinked into wakefulness he realized it was something else. He sat up, and turned to where he had parked the kart before falling asleep. It was gone. Crash scratched his head, and then staggered to his feet. As he took a look around, he could just make out the bumper before it disappeared over a hill. Crash's mouth fell ajar, and he took off toward the hill. The vehicle was rolling backward at a very fast pace, but Crash did his best to catch up, rushing down the hill as fast as he could.

"Slow down!" Crash yelled as though the vehicle would comply.

As expected, it didn't. If anything it picked up more speed. Crash began to stumble and stagger as the hill became lumpy, and he flinched at the damage it was doing to his kart. Yet the unmanned vehicle was slowing down, and Crash fought to catch up. When he was about four meters away the kart suddenly disappeared, flying over a ravine and tumbling in mid air. Crash planted his feet and skid to a stop. He took a peek over the cliff with a sour expression. He winced.

"Coco's gonna kill me."


	6. Chapter 5: Wipeout

**Chapter Five- Wipeout**

Pinstripe scratched one rounded ear as he activated his communication device. A large ratty man with a pointed nose and accented cheekbones answered with a toothy smile.

"Got a job for me boss?"

Pinstripe leaned forward on his elbows, lacing his fingers together.

"Sure do Axe. I need you to organize a little mission for me. I'd do it myself, but I'm still trying to get my enterprise off the ground and it's costing me a fortune. The payment is good."

Axe chewed thoughtfully on the toothpick in his mouth. "What do you have in mind?"

"My employer needs some fast men to race against that Bandicoot and his little friends. You remember the bandicoot, don't you?"

Axe still had the conceited smile on his face, but suddenly his expression went cold. He spat out the toothpick.

"I'll take care of it boss, don't worry about it. I've got just the men for the job."

"I'd say about six should do it Axe. We don't want too many fingers in this pie."

"You got it." Axe's smile rose in a delicate snarl. "Your club's still running, yeah?"

Pinstripe leaned back on his large chair and brought his heels up on the desk. He crossed his arms.

"It's getting there."

"Once you start attracting more alternative entertainment, I might consider coming down. Keep me posted will you?"

Pinstripe grinned, and offered a nod.

"Supply and demand Axe. Come down when you can and bring some of your boys along. You won't be disappointed."

Pinstripe leaned over and clicked off the connection. Axe had been embarrassingly defeated at the hands of Crash Bandicoot, and if anyone would get the job done it would be him. Pinstripe had no worries. He needed the money Cortex was offering, badly. It had taken three years to get this club started within the developing ruins of Cortex Island, and if he didn't get some money to remodel and expand soon, he'd be loosing customers. Also his little burlesque show, which was his most popular attraction, needed some tuning up. Pinstripe's ears twitched when he sensed someone enter the room.

"What?" Pinstripe snapped irritably.

There was a pause of hesitation.

"One of your investors needs to talk to you right away." A woman's voice informed.

Pinstripe grunted and got to his feet. He wrapped his arm around the female's waist delicately.

"Probably about the missed payments. Damn it. Well, let's get this over with baby."

The woman stiffened slightly in his embrace, but followed along as he escorted her back to the main hall.

--

Crash stood for a brief couple moments, hands on hips, gazing with disbelief at the vehicle before him. It had taken a good ten minutes to slowly and carefully climb down the cliff, and now he stood before his would-be wrecked kart. Oddly enough, the kart was fine. Better than fine. Crash leaned over and hesitantly turned the key and started the motor. The machinery sputtered at first but then purred like Coco's tiger in a patch of sun. Crash turned off the key and shook his head.

"Well, that's strange."

Crash heart the sound of squealing tires and spun around to face Coco driving quickly down the rock. She stopped and jumped out of her kart. Without a word, she moseyed toward Crash's car and took a look at it. She studied it for a few silent seconds, and then she stood up and met Crash's gaze.

"Wow Crash, this looks awesome. See what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it?"

Crash offered a very hesitant smile. He looked up to the sky with a long "umm…" and faced his sister again.

"When you're right, you're right little Sis. I've got a lot of untapped potential I didn't even know was there. Thanks for your pep talk; it helped me see the light."

Coco offered a slightly suspicious look at her far too lively brother, but shrugged it off. She started back to her kart.

"We've got some people gathered together for a test run Crash. You should get some practice in."

Crash leaned against his kart, still flabbergasted that nothing was destroyed. "Who's going?"

"Crunch, of course. Kieran just finished his kart too so he'll be there. There are a few other people that I don't really know but I think we should have about ten." Coco offered a substantially serious look. "We've got more than thirty racers signed to compete Crash. Aku thinks we should have a preliminary race to have the fastest racers qualify before we have a final race."

Crash wasn't really listening, and Coco knew it. With a sigh she replaced her helmet. "Hop to it big brother. We don't have much time left."

Coco activated her kart and zoomed off into the distance. Crash tapped his chin thoughtfully, and thought about remaining exactly where he was and have a nice rest. Yet his troublesome conscience was getting the better of him. With a mournful groan, he flopped into his seat and turned the key. After the vehicle shuttered for a moment, Crash stepped on the gas and sped across the beach.

--

The clearing was crowded with anthropoids and their custom vehicles. Each was making final adjustments on his kart. Well, everyone but Crash. The lazy bandicoot was chatting away to Crunch, who incidentally was not the slightest bit interested in what Crash had to say. Crash knew this, but it was fun to annoy the big hulk of a marsupial.

"So, where's your girlfriend?" Crash ventured with a smirk. "Surely she wouldn't miss her big hunkster racing all manly in a brave attempt to save the world."

Now Crunch did look up, and he slowly adopted a dangerous smile.

"You…"

Before Crunch could demonstrate the intensity of his anger, Aku Aku began to address the crowd.

"Please finish the last adjustments on your vehicles everyone. The practice race will start in just a few minutes."

Crash hopped off Crunch's kart and sat on his own. He was still smiling without a care in the world.

"So how are you gonna pose when you win first place Crunch?"

"Would you leave me alone?"

Crash settled back into his seat, propping his arms behind his head lazily. "When I'm bored I tend to annoy. Unconsciously of course. You're a lot more fun to bug than Coco is."

"I swear, if you don't quit…" Crunch's words trailed off as a hissing sound groaned from his car. Crunch was silent for a moment, and after a moment of tweaking he threw his wrench with a substantial amount of strength. "Dammit!"

Crash leaned forward, grasping his knees to hold himself up. "That didn't sound good."

Crunch suddenly whirled on Crash, his dark green eyes flaming in anger. Crash lifted his hands to ward off the coming danger.

"Alright, I see you're in a bad mood. Bad timing."

Crash slid out of his car and sat on his haunches next to Crunch. The latter was rubbing the back of his neck in confusion.

"I have no idea what went wrong."

Crash was about to offer a useless suggestion, when he heard a voice from behind them.

"Could I take a look?"

Crash and Crunch turned to see a pretty bandicoot with curly emerald hair and large green eyes. She was standing most shyly, tapping the ground with one foot while her clasped fingers twitched slightly. Crash and Crunch exchanged surprised glances. Crash had no right to be judgmental, after all, his own kid sister was a braniac. Yet this woman looked so incredibly delicate that Crash had a hard time believing she would know what she was doing. Obviously Crunch had the same doubts.

"Thanks, but I think I can manage this."

The girl blinked once, and began to step back. "Oh…"

Crash felt incredibly bad, but he had nothing else to say to make the girl's regretful expression disappear. Instead he turned back to Crunch. He could still feel her standing behind them, but he vowed not to turn around.

"It looks like there's a loose fixture in the motor."

Crunch slowly turned.

"The motor?" He looked at his kart, and then back to the girl. "You think you can fix it?"

A hopeful expression came over the shy girl's face.

"I think so. All I need is a wrench."

Crash laughed when Crunch stiffened uncomfortably. The girl looked from one bandicoot to the other with eyes wide with confusion.

"Sorry, Crunch's wrench was last seen whirling through the air after a brief outburst of frustration. You can use mine if you want."

Crash reached inside his car and pulled out the wrench he had been using just minutes ago as a drumstick. The girl reached for it gratefully, and then got down on her knees in front of the kart. Crash was amazed at how fast her hands moved. In a matter of moments her dainty orange hands were covered in black grease. Crash could see by Crunch's hesitant movements that he was feeling guilty at having her up to her forearms to fix his car. No more than five minutes later, the girl sat back on her heels and used the only clean spot on her arm to wipe her brow.

"There. Try it now."

Crunch complied, reaching over and starting it up. It sounded perfect. Crash realized that his mouth was open, and so he quickly shut it. Crunch handed the girl a clean rag.

"You're pretty good at this. What's your name?"

The girl started cleaning off her hands. "I'm Ami."

Crash broke free of his silent spell. "Hey there. I'm Crash, and the mechanically disinclined lug here is Crunch."

Crunch snarled at Crash, but didn't contradict the statement. Ami smiled, soft and sweet. When Crash was certain Ami wasn't going to say anything else, he begun the conversation.

"So Ami, are you racing?"

Ami looked flabbergasted. "Oh no. The only talent I seem to have around vehicles is how they work. I'm not a driver."

"You should give it a try. You can't be any worse than I am."

Ami blushed. "Thanks, but I feel perfectly at ease here on the sidelines. But if you have any other problems with your karts I'd be happy to help."

"Sure, be glad for it. Thanks a bunch."

Aku's voice rumbled over the group, requesting that everyone make their way to the starting line. Ami turned back to Crash and Crunch.

"Good luck."

"Thanks. Nice meeting you." Crash glanced at Crunch, but the latter was already swinging into his kart. Crash sighed.

After Ami left, Crash jumped aboard his car and pulled alongside Crunch.

"You're a rude bastard sometimes, you know that?"

"You were managing fine on your own." Crunch stated with mild interest.

"Looks like someone's a little bashful around girls."

Crunch shot him a menacing look. "Stop being stupid."

"Can't. It's one of my many remarkable talents." Crash giggled and stepped on the gas to take his place in line.

Coco was already ready to go, and Crash could imagine that under her dark goggles was her frequently disposed determined expression. Crash also saw the well shaped shoulders that suggested Kieran Bilby. Most of the others Crash didn't know, until he caught a glimpse of a hulking gray creature who was the only one of the group who was larger than Crunch. Crash gulped. Koala Kong? It couldn't be. Well, why couldn't it? After Crash had defeated Kong inside a volcano on N. Tensity Island, he'd never thought much about him. There was one more figure that looked familiar, but by that time Liz Bandicoot was already brandishing the starting flag. She waved it around for a moment, caught a glimpse of Crunch and gave him a flirty wink, and then cast the flag down. Crash stepped on the gas, giggling as he imagined Crunch's exasperated expression.

The track was short, meant for a quick burst of speed as oppose to a long distance race. The preliminary race was scheduled for the very next day, and so this was the only real practice time the racers had to test out their machines. The track started over the beach, and then weaved in through the jungle and then over a rocky quarry before returning back to the clearing. This was not half as long as the track for the preliminary race would be, and the final race track being set up on N. Tensity Island would be even longer. Crash wasn't looking forward to all of that racing, but he had to admit that the feeling of wind blowing over his fur was beginning to feel great. As the sand billowed up about Crash's wheels, he noticed with a snort that he was in fifth place. Just in front of him Coco sped across the beach, and just in front of her Kieran and Kong were tied neck and neck. Crunch was in the lead, naturally, cruising as though he was just going for an entertaining joyride. Crash decided against admiring the scenery and leaned into his speed.

For being an all around lazy bandicoot, Crash was fast. It was most likely due to his frequent choosing of "flight" in the "fight or flight" concept. He was a small guy, and so he had to rely on his speed and agility to survive. Such was similar in this race. Although he didn't care one way or the other if he won or lost, he knew that he would try his very best. The result didn't really matter.

The track was leading into the jungle now. Crash leaned hard into his turn, keeping an eye fixed on the road ahead. It wasn't a complicated, dangerous path through the trees, and for that Crash was thankful. If anyone was going to plow into one of the large palm trees it would probably be Crash. Seeing a sharp turn up ahead, Crash readied himself for his sudden burst of speed. He didn't slow down in the slightest as he reached the curve; he simply shot though it hoping all four wheels would remain on the ground. Mid-turn, Crash felt his left most wheels begin to lift of the ground, but with a sharp push against the velocity Crash smashed the rubber back into the dirt. He circled past Coco and the two racing neck and neck. With a pump to the acceleration, Crash jetted out of the turn into second place. Now he focused his attention on getting into first.

Crunch was incredibly fast, but his muscular frame was quite heavy, and although he was a speed demon on long stretches, he had apparent trouble through the curves. Crash sped up to pull alongside him. There was another turn ahead, and that's where Crash planned to lose him. For the moment he stayed in Crunch's shadow, waiting for the opportunity to take advantage of Crunch's shortcoming. He felt the rumbling beneath his feet and had to admit it felt remarkable. Normally Crash was not really into anything that was capable of causing him damage, but he found that the quick little cart was growing on him.

They reached the curve. Crash turned toward Crunch, and when the latter turned his head Crash offered a quick half-wave, and then he twisted into the corner. Crunch realized his disadvantage in a moment, and as Crash took the lead he could just imagine the burgundy bandicoot fuming. Crunch was forced to turn wide, giving Crash that much more space between them. Crash focused on what was ahead, and felt himself hesitate at the next marker. The track progressed right over a wide rope bridge. That shouldn't be a problem to get over, but Crash could imagine the deep crevice below were he to drive off the edge. Crash banished his hesitation and sped toward the bridge with all intensity. His wheels struck the planks, and by the lack of shuttering Crash guessed this was a reliable bridge.

As soon as that thought entered his mind, he heard a resounding snap, and suddenly he was propelling downward. In a pinch, Crash arched his back and caught the remnant of bridge still attached to solid land and effortlessly slipped out of his kart. He watched mournfully as his trusty racing device disappeared into the trees far below. Crash's attention was quickly deterred to absorb the impact of crashing into the cliff side. Winded, Crash clutched onto the wood tighter while he caught his breath. He noticed with another vexation that the stability of his would-be ladder was not ideal. The ropes anchoring him to the land appeared to be tampered with as well. Crash could only guess by his situation now that the rope in the center of the bridge had been cut.

_Someone really wanted to break this bridge_. Crash thought glumly.

As he dangled, feeling the remainder of the bridge shudder and begin to strain with the weight, Crash heard a very welcome voice.

"Hold on Crash, I'm pulling you up."

"You're a peach mate."

Crash did as was instructed and forced iron into his grip. Quickly and with surprisingly little effort, Crash was pulled up to the top of the cliff. When he was close enough, he felt Crunch's non-artificial arm grasp him and hoist him the rest of the way. Crash lifted his goggles off his head and with surprising calmness he placed it onto the grass.

"Crash, are you okay?" Coco asked with her green eyes wide as saucers.

Many of the racers had stopped, but the lollygaggers were just beginning to pull up. Crash took a look about him, realized how close he had come to destruction and said sourly,

"Considering I almost plummeted to my death, not particularly. But I'll get over it."


	7. Chapter 6: Contemplation

**Chapter Six- Contemplation**

It took a good couple hours for Crash's kart to be retrieved. Surprisingly, it was not completely destroyed. It wouldn't run, that was for sure, but it was still fixable before the preliminary race the next morning. Aku was still investigating how the rope bridge had failed. He claimed that he personally reinforced the ropes to be sure they would not snap. Someone must have sabotaged it. This entire examination was of no interest to Crash. He was still gloating about beating Crunch, for however short a time. Crunch grudgingly remained silent, only because Coco had politely asked him to. Yet Crunch's patience was growing thin.

"It is actually very amazing that your kart wasn't completely destroyed on impact." Ami said while fiddling with Crash's engine. "The motor still runs and none of the suspensions are damaged. Extraordinary."

Crash leaned against Crunch's cart with a sleepy smile. "Of course, we bandicoot types are durable, so why not our vehicles?"

Crunch continued to grumble as he tweaked his own machine. With Ami focused on repairing Crash's kart, she had no time to focus on Crunch's car, which Crash suspected the unsociable bandicoot preferred. Crash turned to face his muscular counterpart.

"I was wondering, Crunch, if you informed Ami on who was winning the race before it was interrupted."

Crunch growled and Ami laughed. "You've told me at least a dozen times Crash, and I don't think Crunch appreciates it very much."

Crunch offered a wicked smile in Crash's direction. "Wait till the prelim kid. Then you'll see some real racing."

"I wonder how I'd be able to see it if I'm up front." Crash returned with a beaming grin.

Before Crunch could retort, another voice spoke up.

"What's this now? My big strong bandicoot man can't beat a little runt in one race?"

Crunch bristled, and Crash remained unaffected by Liz's indirect insult. Liz caught Crunch's disdainful emotion and clicked her tongue thoughtfully.

"Hey pint size? Why don't you ask your friend if he enjoys my flirting with him?"

Before Crash could reiterate for Crunch's benefit, the latter gritted his teeth and growled.

"What do you think?"

Liz shivered with a lively grin. "Brrr, got cold all of a sudden."

Liz continued to jeer and Crunch continued to take it with a glowering expression of distaste. Crash faded in and out of sleep, moving only when Ami politely asked for a tool to proceed with her work. Eventually Coco came to join the group, and there was someone with her. No one immediately noticed the averaged-sized very light coloured bandicoot that Coco was escorting, and it took a loud clearing of her throat to get their attention.

"Hey everybody, I'd like to introduce you to Megumi."

The blue-haired bandicoot bowed slightly.

"Hello."

Crash knit his brows together, and Crunch didn't bother turning. Ami immediately got to her feet, instantly all politeness.

"Hi there, my name's Ami."

Ami reached out her hand, and waited for Megumi to take it. Megumi examined her dirty hand with a critical eye, and then narrowed her gaze rather pompously.

"You have grime on your hand."

Ami's hand snapped back and she looked at her greasy hands in embarrassment.

"Oh, you're right…I'm sorry."

Ami withdrew into herself, and Crash, instantly bitter, smiled tightly at the new arrival.

"It's pretty difficult for hands submerged in motor oil to come out spotless." Crash stated, and gave Ami an encouraging wink. Then he got to his feet and reached out his hand.

"I don't think you'll find anything unsatisfactory with this one, I just washed it."

Megumi's expression didn't suggest she was even paying attention, but she shook his hand nonetheless.

"Hello Crash Bandicoot, it is a pleasure."

Crash reclaimed his hand. "I'm sure you know my name by my daring reputation."

Coco slugged her brother in the arm and then completed the introduction. "And this guy here is Crunch, and this is Liz."

"G'day." Liz dipped her head.

"Hey." Crunch's reply may or may not have been a grunt.

Megumi bowed again, but something about her vacantly relaxed features shot Crash with a flurry of shivers. Her short blue hair was pulled back into tiny pigtails, and her hair colour was almost unnatural. It was the lightest blue, almost white, which caused her skin to look very pale. Suddenly Megumi's eyes jolted to lock onto his, and Crash instantly disengaged. Although her small face was very pretty, those big fuchsia eyes of hers were disconcerting.

"I would very much like to be a part of your racing competition, not as a competitor of course. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask."

Coco offered Megumi a smile. "Sure, we'll give you a call if we need anything."

Megumi bowed again, for what Crash hoped would be the final time, before turning on her heel and striking away. Liz tilted her head in contemplation.

"Odd sort of girl."

Crunch struggled underneath Liz's weight, blatantly displaying how annoying he considered her leaning to be. Liz didn't seem to notice. After a moment of not quite awkward silence, Crash got to his feet and brushed off his pants.

"Well, I've had enough for one day. If anyone needs me I'll be asleep somewhere on the path from here to home."

"I'll have your kart finished in a jiffy Crash. It'll be all ready for tomorrow."

Crash grinned and patted Ami on the shoulder. "You're a lifesaver doll."

Crash started wandering down the path, and soon after his departure Coco followed.

--

Coco scurried along the path, eager to catch up to her brother. Her laptop was still tucked under one hand, and on it the modifications to her kart were waiting to be installed. However, she had something she needed to discuss with Crash first. Halfway to the house, Coco noticed a gap in the flourishing underbrush, and she sighed. It was a law of the universe that no creature was lazier than her brother. Coco followed the path and sure enough approached Crash lying under a tree. Strangely, he had not yet fallen asleep. Crash had an uncanny way of converting to unconsciousness before he could even lay down. Right now, he was thinking. Coco caught an unusual gleam of contemplation alien to his usual worry free expression. When he saw her, his normal flippantness returned in a flash.

"Hey Miss Li'l Sis. How goes the tuning?"

"Well I'm glad you haven't turned gun-shy yet." Coco smiled.

"When my palms start getting sweaty, I'll let you know. Remember Coco that near death situations are a commonplace for me. No need to worry."

Coco's voice took on an edge of seriousness. "Crash do you have any idea of who sabotaged that bridge?"

"I haven't the slightest clue. I've got a list as long as this tree is high of enemies. Take your pick."

"I intercepted a call between Cortex and some guy named Pinstripe Potoroo. Does that name mean anything to you?"

Coco thought she saw Crash stiffen for a moment, but banished the thought when he smiled tightly.

"I've had a rout with him in the past yeah."

Coco considered this. "Do you think it's possible that Cortex is behind this?"

"Darlin' I've learned from past experience that no matter what is going wrong, Cortex is always at the head of the problem. If he wants to try and sabotage the race, let him. If he just wants me then I'll do my best to steer clear of everybody and let him take his best shot."

"You're being pretty cocky Crash."

"I'm being lethargic, as usual. I don't want to deal with that moron right now, so I say that if he wants to get rid of me for the thousandth time, he can give it a go. What difference does it make?"

Coco pursed her lips desolately. "Sure, whatever you say." Coco turned and wandered back toward the path. "I'll be back at the clearing if you need me."

"Can do."


	8. Chapter 7: Dawn Before the Race

**Chapter Seven – Dawn before the Race**

The morning of the first of two races was cool and misty, with the sun just peeking its rays over the ocean horizon. All about, upright animals made the final adjustments to their karts, hoping the slight modification would better their speed in the long stretch. Crunch's engine was purring like a contented tiger cub, and although the axel was wound tightly to sustain his weight, he was very confident that his kart was by far the fastest one, mechanically at least. Coco was still typing strings of commands into her kart's built in computer. Her kart was defiantly the most high tech, with a rear facing screen and a built in sensor device that showed her who was ahead as well as who was behind her.

Ami had her hands full rushing from one car to the next, helping out as much as she was capable. Liz had abandoned hanging around Crunch that morning, focusing instead on socializing with the other racers. Megumi sat with a straight posture on a tree trunk, analyzing the throng with a vacant expression. There seemed to be at least four dozen creatures in the clearing, though only about half of these were actually dressed to race. Aku Aku soared over the commotion as the sunlight began to clear the tree tops. He sailed down to where Coco and Crunch were still hard at work.

"Good morning Coco, Crunch." Aku took a quick look around, and then added, "Where's Crash?"

"Probably snoozing somewhere. I haven't seen him." Coco said as she continued with her calibrations.

Aku exhaled in exhaustion. "The preparations for the race have been concluded. The track is ready for use and it appears the contestants are getting restless. Crash must be-"

"Why all the hullabaloo gramps?" Crash strode into view with a sleepy but still determined look on his face. "I'm right here."

Aku smiled faintly in relief. "And your vehicle?"

"Is all ship shape and ready to go." This from Ami, gesturing toward a remarkably flawless blue kart.

Crash grinned. "You outdid yourself Ami, I think I owe you some breakfast."

Ami returned the smile and shyly brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face. Crash knelt down next to Crunch, who still hadn't looked up from his work.

"And how are you this fine summer morning Crunch?"

"I'd be better if you stayed out of my face." Crunch growled, yanking a screw tight with his wrench.

"I don't understand it, but you seem to be getting more and more hostile every day. It can't be healthy."

"Crash, do you remember the last time I warned you to back off?"

Crash shivered unconsciously. Although Crunch could be a very agreeable guy, when he got annoyed there always seemed to be bruises coming Crash's way. With a nod Crash stood back up.

"Right, not a morning person, I remember now."

Crash spent the next couple minutes fiddling with his kart, tweaking it here and there to offer his own unique touch. When he figured that he'd done enough, he reached over in preparation to bug his sister. However, his fun was interrupted before it began as he spied Liz sprinting toward them. She stopped before their group, only slightly out of breath.

"Hey small fry, there's a guy here with some goons and they're really wanting to see you."

Crash reluctantly got to his feet and stretched out his back.

"Did these goons say who they were?"

"Only that their leader is a fat rat named Axe, and he was sent here by some guy named Pinstripe."

Crash paused in mid-stretch. "Oh."

"You'd better come see them before they start some trouble. They've got some big ass artillery and even I didn't want to mess with them."

"Got it."

Crash strode absently, following Liz's lead. A concerned Coco and a gloomy Crunch fell into step behind him. Ami skipped along to catch up with them.

"Pinstripe? Who's that?"

Coco frowned. "Well, whoever he is Crash doesn't seem very eager to hear from him."

--

Crash walked up to the impressive group of potoroos without any external hesitation. The leader was a very fat, very scummy rat with glossy shoes and a gruesome smile. Crash recognized this guy instantly, yet he put some drama into attempting to place his identify.

"Wait a minute, don't tell me…" Crash smiled wickedly. "Acid guy."

By the furious expression on the rat's face, Crash figured he guessed right. This rat was the same gangster who he'd had a little brouhaha with during his tour through the lovely toxic waste plant in Cortex Castle. He also was the rat that Crash brought down with one quick kick to the groin, and from what Crash could remember he left him rolling on the ground in anguish. Now there were some fun times. The fat rat, Axe, forced his confident smile to return.

"Hey Bandicoot, long time no see. I hope we'll be able to put that little misunderstanding behind us. Business is business after all."

"Yeah, whatever. Now if I may, what the hell are you and your band of hair-slicked thugs doing here?"

There was a rustle behind Axe, and it was quite obvious that the gangsters did not appreciate Crash's taunting words. Axe remained unaffected.

"All we desire is to be accepted to take part in your little race. We figured, since you're looking for the fastest racer, that one of us might fit the bill."

"One of you fat slugs, not likely." Crash said humorously.

Some of the rats laid their hands on their weapons. Coco leaned toward her brother.

"Crash…" She warned quietly.

"We want only to try our luck as competitors. We've already got our vehicles built." Axe said, still demonstrating his crooked teeth in a crooked grin.

Crash pretended to consider it. "Well, if I am considered to be the tentative speaker of this group, and my opinion matters, what if I were to refuse your request?"

The gun was out faster than Crash could track, and before he realized Axe had even moved the muzzle of a .30 calibre machine gun was touching his chest. Beside him Coco gasped. Axe grinned menacingly.

"If I don't like your answer I'll just blow you guys away until I find one I that I do."

Crash smiled hesitantly. "Ah, well…In light of this new revelation, in my humble opinion I wouldn't mind having you crooks in our race."

Crash glanced down at the gun when it wasn't removed. "But, don't believe your intimidation tactics are working. I'm just a nice guy."

"I'll bet." Axe's gun remained level.

Crash grinned. In a split second he danced out of the path of the gun and shoulder-checked Axe in the stomach. When the rat doubled over, Crunch easily swiped the gun from his hand. When Axe, and everyone else, realized what had happened Crash was standing with a smile directly in front of Crunch, who aimed the gun with his mechanical hand directly between Axe's eyes. The other rats didn't dare draw their weapons.

"Now then," Crash continued pleasantly. "Being on level ground as we now find ourselves, I think you guys would be less trouble if you were directly involved in the race. So, if my word means anything, I'd be happy to allow you guys into the preliminary run."

"And you pain-in-the-asses better leave your guns behind." Crunch warned with a very low and lethal tone. "Or we might not get along."

When the rats surrendered their firearms to Aku, where he could happily destroy them, they too readied themselves for the start of the race. As Crash wandered back to his kart, he felt a sharp tug at his arm.

"What do you mean by allowing them to race?" Coco demanded in a harsh whisper. "All they'll do is cause trouble, and even danger, for everyone else."

Crash continued to walk. "The way I figured it Sis, is that these jerks are going to be around anyway. Might as well have them competing in plain sight than messing with it from the outside. Neither way is a good situation, but this one was the best I could come up with." Crash patted his sister on the shoulder. "Don't worry Sis, I'll watch out for you."

Coco picked up a faster pace. "It's you I'm worried about big brother."


	9. Chapter 8: The Preliminary Run

**Chapter Eight – The Preliminary Run**

The numbers had been drawn. Each contestant reached into a container of identically marked chips, and the number that appeared was their place in the starting line up. Out of the bandicoot group, Crunch had scored 9th, Coco 11th, Kieran 15th, and Crash lingered far down in the 30's somewhere. For being so lucky at dodging death at every turn, he sure wasn't very fortunate when it came to luck of the draw.

Crash settled into the seat of his improved racer, and slipped his goggles over his eyes. Everyone was idly waiting for the signal to start their engines. Ami had reluctantly volunteered to wave the flag, since Liz had taken the announcing assignment with gusto. Before the race, Coco had constructed a speaker system and a television directly transporting the feed from a remote controlled surveillance camera she had pilfered from the ruins of Cortex Castle. It would send all the visual information to Liz, who would clarify it for the dozen's of audience members. Now, that silly green hover-cam was directly over the group, and Crash had an urge to throw a rock at it. Instead, he waited for the signal.

"I would like to implore all contestants to be careful while racing. Some of the track is treacherous, and can be dangerous if caution is not taken by the driver. Also remember the first ten racers over the finish line qualify for the grand race tomorrow morning. To all, beware and good luck. You may now start your engines. Prepare for the dropping of the green flag."

When Aku had finished his speech, he floated off into the distance, probably to watch the race from the highest point. The clearing was filled with scattered snarls of ignitions and soon only the constant thrum of dozens of motors echoed over the crowd. Ami stood hesitantly on a raised platform. She lifted the green flag above her head, and Crash drummed his fingers on the wheel in anticipation. Holding the flag still for a moment, Ami finally cast the flag down forcefully.

Crash pressed his foot on the gas, and shot off with the rest of the crowd into the beginning of the race. As they reached a higher speed, Crash was feeling disconcerted with racers on either side of him (especially considering one was a rat thug from Axe's gang), and so he decided to open up some space right off the bat. He leaned on the acceleration, and weaved into the first curve. The guy beside him needed to slow down or he'd collide with some of the bordered vegetation. That was alright, but the rat on his left didn't stray from his course.

Crash decided the best way to get around this joker was by screwing him up a little. Instead of struggling to get ahead of the rat, Crash slowed down until his front bumper was in line with his competitor's rear buffer. With a sharp turn of his wheel, Crash weaved in behind the rat and took the spot on the latter's right. Now with no obstructions, Crash accelerated, and smiled at the quick jerk of the rat's head. Since Crash had started in the back of the pack, he had a lot of ground to cover. From the audio pickup on his control panel, he could hear the audio feed coming directly from Liz.

"Now past the first curve, we have Kong in forth, Axe in third, Kieran in second and Crunch with a tremendous lead in the front. They're speeding through the jungle opening and are about to jet out onto the sandbar. The racers will have to be careful, since the path is narrow between the ocean and the jungle. The line'll need to be pretty narrow to manage it."

Crash grumbled. Well, this was going to be fantastic. Just as Liz had relayed, Crash sped out from under the shade of the jungle canopy and onto the open beach. Sand flecked off his wheels and arched through the air as he cut through the beach. At first he'd been a little upset, since it felt as though he was slowing down a little as his wheels fought for traction. He soon realized however that this track across the beach would be his best advantage. He along with Coco, were defiantly the lightest ones entered in the race. With a smaller amount of weight, his kart could progress over the grip-less track faster then the bigger guys' could. And his quick evaluation proved true as he cruised past one, two, three, maybe a dozen racers in his path. He couldn't see Crunch yet, but as he squinted he thought he could see a pink kart. Coco was up there somewhere. As Crash let up on the acceleration, he found that he went even faster. He crept up behind the second group, and there he got a clear look of his sister.

She was racing well, but the speed and the sand seemed a little hard for her to handle. As she swerved slightly to keep on track, Crash felt himself exhale sharply in apprehension. He didn't intend to pass his sister while they were so close to the ocean, and especially if her racer was not cooperating with her. So Crash remained behind, following the second group until they made it past the beach and back into the jungle.

"The leaders have cleared the beach and are heading back into the jungle. Be aware that this portion of the jungle is full of winding twists and turns, so it will take all their maneuvering tricks to stay on the track. Still in first place, Crunch Bandicoot (no surprise there), and in second Kieran Bilby, and Axe and Kong are tied neck and neck…"

Crash stopped listening. His wheels rolled off the sand and back onto the packed dirt of the jungle. He now had an opening in which he could pass Coco, but he still held back. He wasn't comfortable leaving her alone back here, especially with so many of Axe's rats in the race.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Crash recoiled when he heard his sister's voice over his speaker. She obviously wired some kind of communication device inside there, just in case she needed to yell at him. Like she didn't do that enough _off_ the racetrack.

"I'm driving."

"Not fast enough. I see what you're doing. I don't want you to worry about me, I want you to drive as fast as you can."

Crash felt a little embarrassed. "I wasn't hanging back just because-"

"I'm trying my best Crash, and so should you."

Crash sighed. "Okay Sis, try and keep up."

"Will do."

Crash carefully weaved through Coco and the racer beside her. After another smooth maneuver he cleared them both, and with hesitation he left his sister behind. Crash entered the serpentine-like portion of the track, and realized that it paid to have very simple and smooth steering. He passed four more racers through these twists and turns, and to his surprise and delight he caught a glimpse of the massive Koala Kong before he disappeared around the bend. Crash leaned into his acceleration, and covered more ground to get himself closer and closer to the leaders.

"Next up, the valley of ruins. This is the part of the race where a racer can choose any course through the scattered ancient remains. Some of the contestants in the rear might challenge our leaders, so watch your back Crunchy-poo."

Crash stifled a laugh. If anything was going to knock Crunch's steel-trap mind out of concentration, that would do it. Crash zoomed out into the open valley of scattered ruins and wrinkled his nose. This was going to be tricky. The entire place was like a maze, and Crash was unsure which paths would be the shortest. He followed his instinct, and took the left most path. He swerved back and forth to avoid striking any of the ancient relics, and relied on his instincts to choose which path he took. After another eight or so minutes of weaving through the paths Crash wondered if he had veered off course. There was not another racer in sight. Yet Crash still refused to be pessimistic, and took another sharply angled path.

He jerked the wheel to the right, and suddenly he found himself sliding just behind Crunch's rear bumper. Crash's jaw dropped in surprise, and by the way Crunch whipped his head around to look at him illustrated how shocked he was.

"Holy crap! And out of nowhere little Crash Bandicoot has slid into second place! Amazing! The racers are now leaving the valley, and progressing toward the final stretch. There is only one lap to this race so this stretch is vital to win."

Crash's clumsy turn was difficult to get control of, and Kieran took advantage this. The grey bilby sailed past him, now trying to find a way to get ahead of Crunch. Crash took a breath. Well, he'd tried to toss this race long enough. If he was going to finish this, he wanted to win.

Crash accelerated, shifting into a faster gear and leaning into his velocity. It took him a matter of seconds to cruise past Kieran, and then he focused on Crunch. With a grin, Crash cut sharply to the left to come up on Crunch's right side. Crunch didn't blatantly weave to cut him off, but nor was he going to make it easy. Unfortunately for him, Crash was adept at being too slippery to catch. Crash pushed even harder on the gas pedal and came up beside Crunch, who was looking rather flabbergasted even from behind his dark goggles. Crash touched his fingertips to the brow of his head in a salute, and powered past him with unbelievable speed.

"This is incredible! It looks like we've got ourselves a hustling speed demon here. Crash Bandicoot has sped into first place, taking an easy lead before Crunch, Kieran and…uh…"

Crash's eyes were set on the finish line. He felt a grin of excitement and his stomach fluttered in anticipation. He was no more then twelve car lengths from the end of the race.

Just as he could taste the feeling of victory, he saw a streak of blue shoot past him. The streak turned sharply and cut him off, causing Crash's tires to spin as he hit his breaks. Crash's eyes were wide in slap-silly surprise as the unknown racer sped over the finish line.


	10. Chapter 9: A Dicey Introduction

**Chapter Nine- A Dicey Introduction**

The preliminary race ended. Crunch finished third, Axe forth, Kieran fifth, Kong sixth, one of Axe's goons called Raze seventh, and Coco just barely managed tenth place. The places for eighth and ninth were, when Crash realized it later, quite surprisingly Tiny and Dingodile respectively. In second place was Crash, and in first was the mysterious driver who had appeared from out of nowhere. These were the immediate facts, but as soon as Crash drove over the finish line he followed the moron who had cut him off.

The winner's kart pulled off and stopped out of the way, and Crash stopped just behind it. In an outburst, Crash ripped off his goggles and tossed it on the grass as he leapt out of his seat.

"What the hell was that?" He yelled in an uncharacteristic manner. "You could have run me right off the road. What's the deal?"

The winner slowly and gracefully rose from his seat (well, her seat. Crash could see by the racer's slender build that it was a woman) and stepped out beside the kart. Woman or not, Crash was not at all happy.

"Hey, you hear me?"

The woman reached for her helmet, and fluently eased it off her head. A cascade of golden curls tumbled down her back, and as she tucked the helmet under one arm and turned around Crash felt his jaw drop open. From the bouncy blond hair and the sparkling blue eyes, an identity rushed to Crash's head so fast he nearly stepped back in surprise. Tawna? The woman immediately narrowed her eyes and glared with a surprising ferocity.

"You got a problem, slick?" The woman asked in a venomous tone.

Crash remained baffled for a couple more seconds. Although her external appearance looked identical to Crash's old friend Tawna, he immediately rejected the idea. There was a strong and confident set to this woman's jaw that Tawna did not have, also as Crash looked at her eyes they did not resemble a calm snowfall like Tawna's, but of cold and merciless ice. The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Hello? Anybody in there?"

Crash shook off his surprise and offered a very lopsided smile.

"Haven't seen you around here."

"Yeah, well I've seen far too much of you." The woman tossed her helmet into her kart and brushed a strand of blond hair out of her face. "Next time, stay out of my way or I _will_ run you off the road."

With this warning issued, the woman turned and marched away. Crash waited for a moment, and then trotted after her.

"You know, cutting in front of somebody like that is not very polite. However, we can put that little misunderstanding behind us if you honor me with an introduction."

The woman remained at a steady pace. "I already know who you are. You're pretty famous for a loudmouth runt." She glanced at him once, and then kept her focus ahead. "Seeing you up close is a bit of a let down."

"Everybody thinks that at first." Crash said with a grin, unfazed in the slightest. "But I can be a nice guy if I put my mind to it."

Now the woman did stop. She pivoted to face him.

"My name is Isabella. We're introduced." Isabella turned again and marched faster, leaving Crash behind. "Now stop following me."

Crash looked after the departing bandicootess with a frown. It was strange how much she resembled Tawna, and how incredibly different her personality was. Crash felt shivers dance up his spine. He was thoroughly weirded out.

"If you're gonna race seriously, do it from the start!"

Crash smiled as Crunch strode by him, glaring at him with an angry intensity. Crash shrugged.

"I got bored way back there, thought you could use some company."

Crunch continued to grumble as he started for the finish line, Crash following along close behind. When he saw Coco slow to a stop and the wild announcement that she made tenth place by a hair, Crash took off past Crunch and rushed to his sister's side. Just as she undid her restraints Crash lifted her out of the kart with a loud,

"Wahoo!"

In between Crash's yips Coco did her best to escape from his excitement.

"Crash! Take it easy big brother!"

Crash finally settled down enough to speak, yet he was still lightly shaking her shoulders.

"You're in!"

Coco smiled sweetly. "Was there any doubt of that?"

Crunch strode up to the two, his expression not as gloomy as it had been before.

"Good driving." Crunch said with a rare smile.

Coco beamed. Then she stared down at her shoes in embarrassment.

"Uh…thanks."

With that out of the way, Crunch turned toward Crash with the same grin yet none of the warmth he offered Coco.

"Now don't be talking too highly about your win Crash, considering you were beat too."

Crash looked rather uncomfortable. "Ehh…"

Coco snapped her gaze up to him. "You came in second? How? Last time I looked at my scanner I thought you were in first place."

"Well, it's…kind of weird."

"Weird?"

Suddenly Aku sailed toward them, a bright smile on his face.

"You all did splendidly. I am very proud of you all."

Kieran strode toward them with his racing goggles resting on his forehead, revealing very somber cool grey eyes. Coco grinned and trotted toward him, offering a playful slap on the shoulder.

"Awesome job, fifth place."

"It's not all that great."

Coco and Kieran immersed themselves in a conversation Crash was not interested in eavesdropping on. Instead he stepped closer to Aku and lowered his voice.

"That girl who came in first…do you know her?"

Aku looked startled, and then considered. "I have seen her wandering around among scattered groups at times, but was never introduced. She requested to enter the race at the very last moment, and she was equipped with a regulation kart so I allowed it. She began a few moments after the race began."

Crash dropped his jaw, and from beside him Crunch snickered. She had started behind him and still she managed to win the entire thing? And Crash thought he was fast.

"So that's why her beacon wasn't on the map."

"Precisely."

"Uh huh."

Aku excused himself from the conversation and floated away to attend other business. Crunch patted Crash's forlorn hunched shoulder in encouragement.

"Don't feel too bad about being beat by a girl Crash. After all, technically I was too."

Crash knew something else was coming. It was too unlike Crunch to be encouraging.

"But, I gotta say, I thought you had this one in the bag and then, boom! The win was snatched right from under your nose. Must be tough."

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Crash grumbled.

Crunch grinned wickedly. "Not presently."

Suddenly a woman's voice rang from afar.

"Crunch?"

Crunch stiffened, and Crash mirrored the same wicked grin that Crunch had discarded.

"I think that's about to change."

Crunch started off at a brisk trot, not fast enough to be obviously running away, but not a leisurely pace either. Crash was left alone, and found himself thinking back to Isabella. It's not as though he could ask Coco if she noticed a resemblance, since Tawna had left him just before Crash and Coco were united. Then Crash remembered that Aku had been introduced to her when they returned to N. Sanity Island. From what Crash recalled, he only spoke to her once before leaving to repair as much of Cortex's damage as he could. Crash decided he'd speak to Aku about it later, but right now he had some business to attend to. With quick and easy strides, Crash wandered toward Tiny the Tiger, who was sitting back in his kart absently looking around. Crash waved hesitantly.

"Hey mate, good race."

Tiny looked toward him, and Crash felt a shiver rake through him. Not too long ago Tiny had nearly eaten him at the command of Dr. Brio. After Crash escaped that skirmish, he met the tiger once again but in far agreeable circumstances. Tiny stared at him for a moment, before his large jaw split into a massive toothy grin.

"Little orange man!"

Crash winced with a smile. "Crash, actually."

Tiny considered this, and corrected himself. "Crash!"

"That's right Tiny, but don't overwork it. I gotta say that was some pretty fine racing out there?" Crash paused for a moment, and then continued. "Is that little doctor here with you?"

Tiny stared at him in puzzlement. Crash narrowed his brows and tried again.

"You know, the guy who created you? Short little guy with a voice stutter?"

After a few more moments the light finally blinked on. "Oh!" Then he thought about it some more, and his ears folded against his head. "He went away."

Crash wasn't in the mood to try and get the brute to elaborate, since he didn't much care what the doctor's retirement plans were anyway. Well, at least he knew that Tiny wasn't hostile with him, so Crash could cross him off as a potential enemy. He was bumbling and not too bright, but he was friendly enough.

"Well, talk to you later then." Crash clapped Tiny on the back.

Tiny grinned and returned the gesture, although his friendly pat knocked Crash clean off his feet. After recovering his footing but none of his dignity, Crash looked around for a sign of Aku Aku. Yet before he could make a full three-sixty scan, Ami appeared directly in front of him.

"Crash! Congratulations, you did great!" She lunged at him with a quick and tight hug, which Crash returned warmly. Then she jumped back with a thoughtful expression. "How was the kart? Did it handle alright? The brakes may have been a little sticky, I don't think I cleaned them enough. How about the acceleration?"

Crash held up his hands to slow her onslaught of questions. "It was fit as a fiddle Ami, you did good."

Ami relaxed and blew out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad."

Ami chatted a few moments more, though most of what she said went way over Crash's simple minded head. She was very smart, and Crash suspected his sister found a lot in common with her. After Crash and Ami parted, he finally found Aku and waved him down. The old mask glided toward him with a look of perplexity on his face.

"I have to ask you something. You know that girl who entered the race at the last minute? Did she remind you of anyone?"

Aku appeared to be thinking about it, but shook his head.

"I haven't the faintest idea of who."

Crash pursed his lips and then leaned in closer. "Don't you think she looks like Tawna?"

Aku inhaled sharply in surprise. "You mean the young lady you rescued from Cortex's clutches?" Aku turned away, and then back again. "Extraordinary, I hadn't even noticed."

"Just seems a little odd to me that someone can resemble someone else so much, but it doesn't really matter. This girl is defiantly not Tawna."

"There are many new faces emerging at every turn, and it is quite impossible to theorize anything from the scattered transformations of Cortex's contamination."

"Well, whatever." Crash yawned and shrugged. "I just wanted to make sure I wasn't nuts, so thanks for that. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a great deal of napping to accomplish before the final race."

Crash left Aku behind and started toward his kart, preparing to drive it back to the house. Yet as he wandered toward it, he saw a very suspicious rat leaning on a rusty red kart, his eyes fixed on something. Crash followed his gaze, and felt his breath stick in his throat in immediate anger. Not too far away, Coco was fiddling with her kart, her attention completely focused on the task at hand. With a very low growl Crash marched up to the gazing rat. He assumed this was Raze, since he was the only other rat besides Axe who had made it to the next round. With a shaggy head of ashy brown hair, he probably could have been dashing if he wasn't a sleezeball gaping at his little sister.

"Just hanging around aimlessly are yah?" Crash asked curtly, standing directly in front of Raze's view.

The rat smiled slowly, and repositioned.

"I just thought I'd wait around for a bit. The view around here is quite satisfying, but I suppose I'll move in for a closer look in due time."

Crash restrained an instant desire to deck the pervert, and instead he offered a very mean and almost deranged grin.

"If you're implying what I think you're implying, I feel obliged to warn you. If I see you even looking at my sister wrong, I'll cut something off. How's that grab you?"

Raze looked confused, as though he wasn't sure whether to laugh or get up and walk away. From the crazed look in the protective brother's eyes, the rat wisely chose the latter. With a grunt he rose up and strode gracefully away. Crash's face retuned to normal instantly, and before he strode away he reached down and grasped the handle of a screwdriver. In a moment, three of Raze's four tires were hissing flat, and Crash discarded the screwdriver with a whistle.

"Oops."

Crash purposefully walked up to Coco and flopped into the seat of her kart. All Crash could see at the moment was her yellow ponytail bouncing up and down on the top of her head as she fumbled with something below her kart. When she stood up and saw Crash laying in her seat she sighed and placed her hands on her hips.

"What are you doing?"

Crash smiled sweetly. "Just settling down for the evening. Wake me up when we get home."

"How do you expect me to drive it home with you laying in it?"

Crash closed his eyes.

"Better get pushing."


	11. Chapter 10: Unwind

**Chapter Ten- Unwind **

The sun had just settled over the horizon, leaving the island bathed in nightly darkness. From afar, a melody of music echoed through the trees. Axe snorted as he trod through the grass with Raze close on his heels. Raze, although more slender and with a longer stride than his companion, was having a hard time keeping up.

"What the hell are we doing?" Raze asked in a harsh whisper.

For his mass, Axe didn't look at all tired despite the distance they trekked. "I need to give the boss a call and relay our progress. He isn't going to be very happy at hearing only two of the ten of us were entered in the final race."

Raze shrugged. "It's better then nothing."

"And I hear someone slashed your tires when you weren't looking."

Raze stopped for the briefest moment before continuing on, voice hard. "That bandicoot did it, no question."

"Well, you know the plan. We can't touch him until we get the word."

The two walked on for a trifle longer before getting to their transportation vehicle. It was a combination land vehicle and speed boat, letting the gang of rats come and go from N. Sanity to Cortex Island as they pleased. Axe unlocked the door and leaned inside. He knocked a few rifles and Uzis off the seat before he sat down. Raze leaned on the hood with a permanent scowl on his face. Axe flipped on the scrambling signal on his vehicle so the call could not be traced or tagged, and called Pinstripe. When he answered, his voice was ragged as though he'd been running a long distance.

"This better be important."

"It's Axe boss, and I know it's a little late to be calling but this was the only time we could sneak away unnoticed. Those morons are having a party or something to relax before the big race tomorrow."

"How many made it?"

"Only two boss. Myself and Raze, the rest are waiting on my order to relocate or take out the target."

"And you're not doing anything until I tell you first. You're just one piece of the puzzle Axe, and if one thing is messed up then the whole mission is botched. Tell your goons not to move until then, got it?"

"Yeah boss."

"After all our ultimate target is the prize the alien is offering. Whether you win or lose we need that prize. We have something else in place to take care of that meddlesome bandicoot, so don't worry about that. Just stay on track, strive to win, and tell your men to stay alert and stay ready."

Axe could hear another voice, a woman's, quietly imploring something from the other line. Pinstripe muffled the connection and said something to console her.

"I've gotta get going Axe. Mind what I said. We'll speak again soon."

Pinstripe ended the connection first, and Axe grunted as he pulled himself out of the car. Raze whistled.

"So this guy gets to lay around with a woman on both arms while we stomp around in the muck, and he'll get paid more than us?"

"Shut it Raze. It's the way our system works. He's our employer, and whatever he says we do. It's simple."

The two started back toward the muffled music that arose from the gathering close to the beach. As they departed, a dark figure dropped from the branches above. Identity shrouded in darkness, the creature moved with a silently graceful movement. It took a matter of seconds for the shadow to force the lock and slowly pull open the door. The shadow then climbed inside the vehicle and used its slender fingers to feel for something. Obviously, the creature was looking for something small, but was unable to locate anything of interest. Before it departed, dejected, it reached inside and wrapped a hand around the hilt of a 9mm pistol and concealed it in its jacket pocket. A second later, and the shadow was gone.

--

Crash was leaned up against a favorite wamba tree with a content smile on his face. He remembered many a night he had laid under this same tree and only had the shimmering stars and rolling ocean as to view before falling asleep. Now the entire beach was bustling with lively people, each finding their own amusement in the music that some of the bilby clan provided. It turned out the entire group was very musically inclined.

Crash repositioned to ease a cramping muscle and took a look over the dancing anthropoids in search of familiar faces. Coco was having a glorious time, admiring Kieran's incredible fiddling. The woman Kieran had introduced as his elder sister, Keeli, played the flute, and did so amazingly in Crash's opinion. Then again, he had never even picked up an instrument before. Crunch was standing off to the side, doing nothing more than making those who danced too close to him uncomfortable. Crash noticed with a grin that Liz had attempted to drag him into the festivity, but to no immediate avail.

Crash also noticed the pair of gangster rats, Axe and Raze, sneak back into the group, but he lost sight of them almost instantly. He wrinkled his nose. He didn't have a good feeling about them, which went without saying. After a few minutes of watching the din, Crash yawned and thought about finding a quiet place to relax. Everything here was just too wild and chaotic. Slowly and extremely ungracefully, Crash rose to his feet and started to stagger away. It was then that he saw Isabella leaning against the trunk of a tree, arms crossed, staring not at the dancing but over their heads toward the starry sky. Crash decided a little detour wouldn't hurt his napping schedule too much. He wandered toward her with a friendly smile.

"Hi again."

Isabella offered the barest glance but didn't move her head. "What do you want?"

Crash felt a little discouraged at her cold reply, but he strove not to show it. He forced more _friendly _into his smile.

"Here for the dancing, are yah?"

"No."

"The music?"

"No."

"How about the luscious eye candy?"

"Hell no."

Crash grinned but noticed that Isabella's face remained unchanged. Didn't this girl ever smile? Crash bit his lip while he attempted to find something amusing to say. It never came so hard to him before, but for some strange reason he was finding the material that fed his natural charm difficult to access. He huffed.

"You don't have to stand there if it makes you uncomfortable." Isabella said monosyllabically.

Crash glanced toward the bandicoot female, and she was still staring straight ahead.

"I'm not uncomfortable, I'm just a little dejected that my usual charisma is somewhat lacking this evening."

"Don't feel bad, I suspect you didn't have much to start with anyhow."

_Wow. I'm getting shot down at every angle._

But Crash refused to give up.

"Are you snippy by nature, or is it a just a passing infection?"

"I'll have to say I'm the snippiest when I'm annoyed."

Crash smirked. "Now what could have brought that on?"

She tried her best, but she finally relented. Crash saw the barest uplift of a smile, and he applauded himself for his good work. Isabella pressed her back farther into the tree.

"I'm guessing you're feeling bad for me because I'm standing over here in a very sulky manner and you hope to bring some sunshine my way so I'll open up and we can have a friendly conversation."

"A little blunt, but sure."

"Ah." Isabella turned and faced him with a smile so wide and ridiculously sweet that Crash cringed. "Go away."

Crash imagined himself plummeting to the ground in a flaming inferno as he was shot down with Isabella's heat-seeking missile. She was…unlike anyone Crash had met before.

"You know, I'm extremely sensitive and you have hurt my feelings. In my case that kind of reaction can be fatal."

"Aww, find me a tissue and I'll shed a tear for you."

"You are extremely sarcastic."

"One of many socially disinclined qualities."

Crash knew he was loosing this verbal battle. So he decided to quit with the banter for a second.

"Alright, then why are you hanging around watching these losers dance around and have fun? I know it's relieving to make fun of them, but after a while it gets kind of boring."

Isabella grunted. "Maybe I'm still trying to figure out why all these jerks are partying it up while an alien is sitting just beyond the atmosphere threatens to destroy our pathetic planet. How can everyone be so cheerful when they may not be here tomorrow?"

Crash scratched his chin. "Well, what's the alternative?"

Isabella glanced at him. "Huh?"

"So the world might be destroyed tomorrow, that doesn't stop us from enjoying today, does it? If you think about it, it kinda makes sense."

Isabelle smiled very faintly. "Kinda."

Crash was making progress, and his mood was getting better by the moment. Before he could open his mouth to continue, he saw someone approaching. He clicked his jaw shut and turned to face the newcomer. It was Megumi, watching the pair blankly. Crash felt the air grow awkward, though he knew Isabella would say nothing to break the silence.

"Uh…hi?"

"I request a dance."

Crash's mouth fell open. "Dance?"

Megumi nodded solemnly.

"With me?"

Megumi nodded again, though something in her eyes suggested puzzlement. Crash scratched his head nervously. How would he get out of this one?

"Sorry, I…don't dance."

"Get out there Bandicoot." Isabella gave Crash a hearty push. "Live in the moment, right?"

Crash turned and gave a very amused Isabella an angry glance before being carted away by Megumi. She guided him into the very centre of the musical movement, and began to step in time with the music. Crash was not a dancer, and never had been, but he did like a good beat. He swayed back and forth, not going all out like a few, but not standing around either. Megumi was staring at him, so Crash turned to take a look at the band. Coco was still at Kieran's side, absolutely fascinated with his fiddle playing. Keeli certainly was a pretty girl, and her eyes were mischievous as she played her flute while watching the two. Instantly Crash felt a wave of shock. Kieran had better not be after his little sister. Yet, with a frown Crash could see that if anyone was flirting, it was Coco. Despite Crash's paranoia, Coco was a smart girl and knew she was too young to even consider a boyfriend, which lifted a load off Crash's mind. At least for the moment.

Crash looked back to his partner and recoiled. She was still staring at him. He hesitated and then smiled hesitantly.

"Band's pretty good, huh?"

Megumi was silent for a few seconds, and then finally she spoke.

"Do you enjoy racing?"

Crash was taken aback, but he nodded.

"Sure. I mean, it's a trend I guess."

"You are very proficient at it."

Crash wrinkled his nose. _Proficient?_

"Hmm, I'm not the best. Came in second, remember?"

"Is there anything you are not adept at?"

This conversation was getting odd.

"I'm sure I can think of something…"

"Have you any weaknesses at all?"

Now the conversation was really getting strange. This girl wasn't even listening to him. A little shaken and tired of being creeped out, Crash bowed his head with a quick smile.

"My only weakness is a good meal and a snooze Meg, and I'll be doing at least one of those things right now. Thanks for the dance. See yah."

Then Crash weaved through the crowd, and against his better judgment he took a look for Isabella. She was nowhere in sight. Before Crash started walking home he contemplated going back into the dancing bodies to collect his sister. Yet he decided against it. Crunch was still there, and Crash knew he wouldn't leave unless he knew Coco was safe, although he'd never admit it. Crash yawned massively and started toward the house. He only made it half way before he collapsed under a tree and fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 11: The Final Race

**Chapter Eleven – The Final Race**

Despite the plentiful night of musical festivities, when the sun peaked over the horizon the island of N. Sanity was already bustling with activity. Assistants set up the final preparations for the big race, and the ten contestants gathered at starting line. Crash had been forced to listen through Coco's detailed description on how magnificent the night had been. Apparently Keeli had taught her a few tunes on the flute.

"She's a natural, I have to admit it." Keeli leaned back on a kart and ruffled Coco's hair. "Sure hope you appreciate such a talented sister."

Crash nodded with a tight smile. "Oh, I do. But I think she's got enough confidence as it is."

Keeli giggled. "True, she's got a good head on her shoulders. Makes me wish I had a sister myself, but I'll have to make due with my moody brother I suppose."

Kieran was preparing his kart a few spaces away, and didn't indicate that he overheard his sister's jeering. Suddenly a strangled sound erupted from Kieran's engine, and Coco winced.

"I better go give him a hand before he blows himself up."

Keeli laughed again, loud and pleasant. "I'm afraid mechanics is not one of his strongest talents."

Coco bounded off to offer Kieran some assistance, and Keeli settled back with a slight smile. She was identical to Kieran in nearly every way except her eyes were a dazzling blue where his were grey, and her long black hair was pulled back into tight braids. Her outfit, too, was quite similar, though she exchanged a long thick skirt that swept past her feet for the trousers her brother wore. Crash decided his kart was about as good as he could make it, so he propped his feet on the steering wheel and leaned back.

"So Keeli, I hear you lived on N. Tensity Island before you came here."

Crash noticed some of the brightness fade from Keeli's eyes, but her smile remained happy and undisturbed.

"That's right. We lived on the coast, since our numbers were too few to defend ourselves in the depths of the jungles."

Crash tried to remember what he had seen on N. Tensity Island almost three years ago. From what he remembered he had only explored a corner of the vast island, but the only dangerous creatures he encountered were Ripper Roo and Koala Kong. Considering how large the island was, it wasn't surprising that some dangerous animals resided in the deepest parts of the jungle.

"Yeah, there are a couple really pretty views from the coast."

Keeli looked startled. "You've been there?"

"Well, I just walked through a part of it. I remember one area there that was particularly memorable, I think it was a lost city or something."

Keeli grinned. "Yes, our clan used to live there."

"Was there any reason you moved from there?"

Crash regretted the question the moment it left his mouth. Of course something happened, or else they'd still be living there. Since it was too late to take back his question without drawing obviousness to it, Crash remained silent. Keeli looked a little distant, but didn't seem upset.

"There had simply been too many battles and too many losses to remain there any longer. My father's death warranted my uncle to relocate our clan to a safer place."

Crash felt instantly uncomfortable about this twist in the conversation, but he knew he brought it upon himself.

"That's…really…well that sucks."

Keeli's laugh rang again. "Well, that's a pretty unorthodox analysis, but it's effective."

A gruff voice called out Keeli's name before anything else was said. Crash turned to see Jovan standing not too far away in a warrior's stance, arms crossed and expression grim. Keeli sighed.

"It's been a pleasure talking to you friend, good luck to you."

Crash smiled and nodded. "You too."

Keeli rose and walked toward her uncle, her long skirt not causing her to falter even a step. Crash placed his hands behind his head in hopes to catch a few winks before the race finally started. He yawned and settled into his seat, but before he closed his eyes he saw a slender and unmistakable figure stride by. He snapped up.

"Isabella!"

Isabella stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. She wasn't smiling, and she did not have a kart with her. Crash clambered out of his kart and walked toward her.

"I know I'm probably off base here, but you don't look like you're all ready to go."

Half of Isabella's mouth lifted into an illusionary regretful smile. "Very perceptive of you Bandicoot. No, I'm not ready to go, which is to say I'm not racing."

"What?"

"I think I said it clear enough the first time. I did it once, and won, and now I don't have any reason to do it again."

Crash was appalled, but he smirked hesitantly just the same.

"I guess, rescuing the world and preserving life as we know it isn't a selling feature, eh?"

"Look at it this way. With me out of the picture you have the chance to dominate the race. Let's face it, if I'd been racing the only place you'd have to strive for is second."

"Someone's a little cocky."

"I'm just realistic." Isabella started to walk again, and Crash knew better than to follow her. "Good luck in the race pal, you'll need it."

--

Coco felt abnormally cramped in her seat, and despite her attempts to reposition herself it wasn't getting much better. She could feel nervousness flittering in the pit of her stomach, but she strove not to let it show. Everyone was readying themselves, and now she waited with her goggles fixed over her eyes in earnest preparation. She clutched the wheel, and then let her hands relax, hoping to relive some of her stress. She peeked toward the front of the starting lineup, and she felt a smile creep over her face when she saw Crash's immobile position. He was napping before the race, doubtless. So what was she so worried about then?

She glanced to her right, and she saw the Potoroo called Raze glaring at her menacingly. She averted her gaze, irritated and nervous. Crunch was ready, his bored green eyes were focused on a spot in the distance, and as that spot grew closer Coco realized that it was Aku Aku. The old witch doctor's mask hovered above the group.

"Contestants, this is your final race. It will consist of three laps around the designated track, which will bring you over rocky chasms, through the ancient Tiger Temple and through the island caverns. The track is considerably more dangerous than the first, and so again I urge you all to race carefully."

Coco couldn't be certain, but she thought Aku looked directly at her when he said that.

"The winner of this final race will be presented to Nitrous Oxide to compete for the survival of our planet. Such a task must not be taken lightly. You may start your engines. Good luck to all."

A rumbling sounded over the ten, no, nine now, karts as they all engaged their engines. Coco took a steadying breath as she checked her dials for the hundredth time. They were all in perfect order. She looked up, and she immediately caught Kieran's eye. The handsome bilby had the same concentrating expression on his face that seemed so constant, but as he saw her he grinned and gave her an encouraging thumbs up. She couldn't help smiling herself, and returned the gesture. She placed both hands tight on the steering wheel, and she glued her eyes to Ami and the motionless green flag in her grip. A moment later, Ami lifted the flag upward and brought it back down.

Coco stepped on the gas, and heard the squealing of spinning wheels on dirt as her tires fought for traction. The leaders of the group were already gone, and with an annoyed curse Coco sped after them, losing only a fraction of time.

--

Crash appreciated starting first. If nothing else it gave him a sense of achievement, but mostly he didn't like weaving through people. He had never been much of a chaser. Sure, he'd been chased plenty of times, but life or death situations were a whole other story. Not surprisingly, Crunch was coming up very quickly behind him, and it took only a few seconds for the larger bandicoot to fall in beside him. Crash tilted his head, and when Crunch (probably against his better judgment) glanced over, Crash waved maniacally. Crunch rolled his eyes, and shot ahead to put at least a meter of distance between him and Crash.

Second place, and only a couple seconds into the competition. Not bad. Crash had suspected he could have done far worse. The first element of the track was coming up fast. Crash's wheels left the smooth dirt and began to bump wildly over the rocky surface. He struggled to keep his steering under control, but he got used to the change quickly. From his built-in radar system, Crash saw that Tiny was coming up on his rear. Since Crash had already made amends, he wasn't all that concerned that Tiny would attempt to screw him. Yet he hadn't been worrying about Tiny's dangerous intelligence level. As Tiny came up from behind, Crash felt a jerky rattle toss him around in his seat. Tiny backed off, and Crash's forehead tensed in irritation. If that moron hadn't slowed as quickly as he did, Crash would probably be tumbling down the mountain now. Crash shot Tiny an angry look. Tiny smiled regretfully.

"Tiny sorry!"

"Tiny do that again and Crash will give him something to be sorry about."

Crash felt a twinge of guilt at yelling at the big oaf, but after a quick look at the dumb clod Crash confirmed he hadn't hurt the tiger's feelings. As Crash rumbled over the rock, he did a quick placing count. He was second to Crunch, and just behind him was Tiny. Koala Kong was close to the pack, but he was driving in some bizarre pattern that ruled out any hope of getting to the front. Axe and Raze were side by side, and by the precise way they were driving Crash could assume that they'd be staying together. At least until they succeeded in clearing the other competitors, by any means, out of their path. Crash wasn't much looking forward to that. Kieran was driving just ahead of Coco, and from his defensive maneuvers Crash saw that he was taking special care in making certain the two rats didn't cause trouble. Now the one racer Crash hadn't picked up yet was Dingodile, and for a second he assumed the dingo, crocodile hybrid was far in the rear.

Crash realized he shouldn't assume. It never led to anything good. Crash tapped his breaks and rapidly turned his wheel to avoid plowing into Dingodile, who had purposely cut him off. The freaky once-minion of Cortex gave him a mocking wave.

"Eat my dust sucka!"

Crash grimaced. That wasn't very polite. No more dillydallying, time to light the match. Crash slammed his foot on the gas, and shot toward the next corner. He could hear Liz's amplified voice on his radio frequency.

"And they're rushing at a fast rate toward their new terrain challenge, the mystic and winding Tiger Temple. Still holding a substantial lead is Crunch Bandicoot, followed by Dingodile and then Crash B. who's really picking up the pace. Just a warning to those in front, better watch your back."

Crash chuckled, and imagined the glowering look on Crunch's serious face. It didn't take long for Crash to cruise in front of Dingodile, he wasn't the most thoughtful driver in the world. What Crash was concerned about were the rats, which seemed to be making some pretty good ground. He bit his lip as he noted that they had already zipped past Tiny (who looked plenty confused when they shot past him from both sides) and were tailing Dingodile. Crash could see Crunch's bumper not too far ahead, and if he continued with his current speed, he'd probably catch up. He grinned. But where was the fun in that?

Crash was feeling cocky, and with Crunch in the lead all he needed to be was a distraction. He had ample practice with such a position. Crash turned his wheels sharply left, and slid a few meters across the ancient temple stone. He lightly pressed the brake, until he came up directly between Raze and Axe. Dingodile had long been left behind by the two, and by the looks on their faces they didn't expect their miniature nemesis to settle pleasantly between them. Crash waved to them both in turn with an arrogant smile.

"Good day gents, nice weather for a race eh?"

The pair both transitioned from surprise to anger simultaneously. Just as predicted, Axe pulled right and Raze pulled left. Crash sighed, and accelerated forward. The rats collided with one another, but were able to reestablish control before spinning out. Crash peeked over his shoulder.

"Thanks for the chat, but I've got to take off. I guess I'm part of a race or something. Catch you later!"

With those final words Crash focused directly ahead, realizing that in all his fun he had missed the sights of the temple. That didn't matter really, since he'd get a chance to see it two more times before the race was over. Crash headed into the dark caverns at top speed.

--

Coco shook her head despairingly. She was driving as fast as she could and still she was in the rear. She so desperately wanted to win this, she knew that she could. Since she had met up with her brother almost three years ago, she had admired his skill and determination (although that was sometimes debatable) in saving the world from certain destruction. More than anything she wanted to rescue the world on her own, as he had done. She was convinced that she'd be able to do it just as well as her inept brother. Yet to do so she needed to win this race.

Directly in front of her, Kieran was driving defensively, almost hesitantly. It didn't take long for Coco to realize what he was doing. He would rather throw the race then leave her unprotected with those gangster rats on the track. Although Coco appreciated his concern, she didn't need it. She thumbed a button on her array of blinking controls.

"Kieran, I've seen you drive faster than this."

There was a moment of static silence from Kieran.

"My kart's not in the best condition right now."

"I'm driving the best I can, and I can't have you holding back because of me, if that's what you're doing. I want to win. So should you."

Kieran appeared to have gotten the hint, because he began to speed up.

"Be careful."

Coco smiled softly. She was going to do her best, and she wouldn't be last when she crossed the finish line, she promised herself that. The caverns were next, and Coco took a deep breath to calm her racing nerves. She could do this.

--

Crash did not appreciate the dark twists and turns that were the final obstacle to completing the first lap. Upon entering the caves he immediately lost all sense of direction. The lack of illumination was assisted by her headlights, but only just. He turned his wheel hard to the right, narrowly avoiding a sharp curve between the twisted labyrinth. He knew he needed to get a grip and clear her head, or she'd never get out of this without turning his kart into scrap. All he could hear were the deafening sounds of strained engines echoing throughout the caverns. Crash frowned, and forced his acceleration. He twisted back and forth, barely escaping collision on each pass. As he measured the difficulty of this final challenge to the track, his thoughts settled on his sister. He sure hoped she was okay with this. Straightening in his seat, Crash knew that if he slowed down to catch a glimpse of her he'd only put himself in a fare amount of danger, and he wasn't looking forward to Coco's walloping fist as a scolding for being so careless. Crash would see her after he broke back into the light, which, as he scanned ahead, didn't seem too long to wait.

He could see the faint light ahead that could only be the exit. Then he saw Crunch's silhouette, and it was apparent that the larger bandicoot had to lean into his turns to avoid crashing. Luckily, Crash didn't have that problem, and cruised around the last pass before shooting though the hole into the bright sunny day. His goggles provided a substantial amount of shade over his eyes, but he still had to blink a few times to adjust. With no obstructions, save for Crunch, ahead of him, Crash focused on his rearview mirror. After Crash came Dingodile, and then Axe and Raze. After the rat pair was Tiny, and directly after him was Koala Kong. Crash swallowed nervously, and bit his lip when he saw Kieran sailing out of the cave. The exit was only a small dot on his mirror now.

"All the racers made it out of the caves but one, we're still waiting on Coco Bandicoot."

Crash waited, biting his lip harder and harder. Finally, he saw one final shape shoot out of the caves.

"And there she is! The racers are now on the stretch to completing their first lap. Crunch and Crash are ahead with a group of congested but determined racers catching up. Prepare for the second lap!"

Crash felt a grin spread across his face, and leaned forward when the starting line was in sight.


	13. Chapter 12: Second Lap

**Chapter Twelve- Second Lap**

Coco watched her brother speed over the line to begin the second lap. For the entirety of the first round of the race, Crunch had remained in the lead with Crash not far behind. At least one of their group would win this race. Coco angled her brows and slammed her fist on the throttle. She needed to gain some ground, and she realized that she'd only be able to accomplish that on the twists and sharp turns. Most of the contestants had large masses, making it difficult for them to turn. Since she was of a slight weight, and her kart was built for agility, she knew she'd be able to beat a few racers by using it to her advantage. Yet on long stretches like these, her speed was not so good.

Despite her lack of speed, Coco was surprised to see that she was catching up to Koala Kong. The burly koala didn't seem to understand the use of all his kart's advancements, and as Coco got closer she noticed that he was still in first gear. She shook her head exasperatingly. If she was any less competitive, she may have yelled a bit of advice, but she didn't bother. If he couldn't get to third gear, she was almost certain he wouldn't be able to get out of it. Coco sped by cautiously, and kept her eyes focused on the starting line ahead. She felt the reverberating cheers of the viewers hollering support from the stands, and she felt a small wave of encouragement. She forced her kart into its fastest acceleration as she cruised over the line, beginning her second lap.

--

Things were beginning to get interesting. Crash knew that with a questionable opponent like Axe at his back, he couldn't expect his racing experience to progress smoothly. From his mirror, Crash noted that Axe and Raze were driving fairly close to one another, and they were beginning to gain on him. Crash shrugged this off. What could they do? They couldn't possibly run him off the road without putting themselves behind. Yet what Crash didn't consider were the other racers on the track. Just as Dingodile closed in on the two racing rats, Axe turned his kart and clipped the bumper of Dingodile's racer. With a big expression of surprise Dingodile shot forward spinning around like a butt-ugly whirly-gig.

With a guttural curse, Crash did all he could do to avoid the blunt part of the collision. But his evasive maneuver was not good enough. Crash was caught up in the spin, and let his foot press the brake soberly while he turned into the twirl. Fortunately, Crash had a fair amount of practice in the spinning department, so he didn't have a problem turbo-charging out of the blunder. Unfortunately, Raze had taken the second place spot and both Axe and Kieran were ahead and racing neck and neck. Crash didn't even bother to check for Dingodile, since the lug was probably still spinning out of control. Yet by not looking back he was doubly surprised when a massive topaz hulk cruised past him. Crash growled. Now this was a rotten situation. When Tiny was passing him like he wasn't even moving something was wrong.

As Tiny closed in on the leading group, Crash forced more acceleration into his stretch. He needed to catch up, and fast. Suddenly, Raze turned sharply to the left and Crash found himself gaping. Raze's kart slammed into Tiny's, and the stupid oaf was so close to the edge of the crevice that he didn't have time to recover.

"Watch it!"

Crash didn't know why he hollered, especially since there was nothing Tiny could do anyway. Crash heard an enraged roar echo over the cliffs. As Crash approached the scene, he noticed with a fare amount of relief that Tiny had latched himself on the strong branch of a tree, and avoided plummeting to certain death. Although he was fine, his kart had fallen to a fiery explosion far below. Crash shuttered. Tiny looked none too happy, and Crash was glad he wouldn't be facing the burly tiger's retaliation when this was all over. This little contest was turning ugly, and although Crash felt horrible for thinking it he hoped that Coco would not progress any closer to the dangerous leading racers.

--

Coco whizzed past a cursing and roaring Tiny Tiger with a surprised expression. What was going on here? It looked like the race was getting treacherous, but Coco still wasn't sure if Tiny had been bumped off course of if he did it himself. Tiny wasn't the cleverest of beings. The measure of Tiny's involvement in his own disqualification notwithstanding, Coco knew she needed to keep focused. If those two rats were causing mischief ahead, Coco didn't want to be caught up in it.

"Wow, now that was close. Tiny Tiger is now out of the race. Just a note to other racers, keep your eyes open for any questionable maneuvers on the track. Some racers don't seem willing to play nice."

Coco grimaced. So it was one of the rats. She'd figured that. However, her rising anxiety at being bumped off the road did not force her to keep her distance. She wanted to win, and to do so she needed to pass the disturbers. As she wound over the final snaking crevices Coco forced more speed into her acceleration. She was nearing the temple again, and she needed to cover some ground fast, or be left behind. She cruised around the ancient tiger statues and through heavy jungle vines. With excitement, she calculated that she was gaining on the leaders. She gathered speed as she swung into a turn, and found herself directly between Dingodile and Axe. Then she realized this was defiantly not the place to be. She glanced at Axe, who had an ugly, very toothy grin on his sinister face. Coco's fingers tingled in nervousness. As she predicted, Axe turned his wheel sharply, his plan obviously to slam her so hard into Dingodile that they'd both be flung from the race. Coco gritted her teeth. Well, she wasn't going to let that happen. She slammed on her brake and turned sharply to the right, just barely brushing Axe's rear bumper as she sailed around him. Dingodile got the full impact of the collision, and instantly spiraled off course. Coco winced as he and his racer slammed hard into the temple wall, and by the slight eruption of Dingodile's engine, Coco guessed he was out of the race too. She inhaled shakily. Well, at least she was ahead of Axe, but having that foul rat at her back did not offer her very much reassurance.

Coco sped forward with one eye constantly scanning her rearview mirror. Axe was coming up fast, but Coco assured herself that once they entered the dark caverns she'd be the faster through the twists and turns. She accelerated into the caves, flipping a switch to brighten her headlights. It was not as though the lights assisted her very much, since her kart was equipped with handy obstruction sensors that picked up an inferred signal and directed her where to go. As Coco progressed through the narrow caverns, she suddenly heard a piercing wail coming from one of her instruments. Coco glanced down, and dropped her jaw in shock when she realized her engine pressure was at a critical level. It was not a very serious problem, but she would need to slow down to adjust the strain. She lowered her speed and let her fingers whirl across her control panel, making every adjustment that could quickly place her back into the race.

All of a sudden, she saw the bright headlights of a kart approaching behind her. Coco cursed under her breath. She didn't have the power to dodge, and could only shut her eyes and clench her jaw as the kart barreled into the back of her. Her head snapped back as her kart jolted forward, but thankfully she didn't spiral out of control. Axe cruised by her, leaving her rattled and fumbling to fix her controls. After a few moments she was nearly ready, but she felt another curse form at the tip of her tongue as she realized she couldn't get started on her own. She needed a push, and since she was in last place and trapped in the depths of the caverns she didn't really have a chance.

Suddenly, her kart started to move. She glanced around in astonishment, flabbergasted that her kart was moving without even a spark of power. She turned in her seat, and saw the happily grinning face of Koala Kong, offering her the vital push she needed. Coco's jaw was still hanging ajar.

"Kong? What are you doing? You don't have to do that."

The pleased smile remained on Kong's face.

"Kong not as fast as bandicoots. Kong want to help."

Coco beamed in instant appreciation. What a thoughtful gesture.

"Thanks a lot."

Coco turned her attention back to her dials. As Kong picked up speed, Coco felt the juice begin to flow through her engine. Even better, the opening of bright sunlight ahead declared they were exiting the dark caves.

"Keep going Kong, just about there!"

Koala Kong sped up, and Coco revved up the engine. Suddenly she shot off through the opening, her engine back on line. She let out a whoop, and turned to give Koala Kong a thumbs-up. However, as she turned she felt a shocked gasp escape her throat. Axe came flying out of nowhere, and slammed into the side of Koala Kong's kart. The bewildered Koala was thrown off the track and splashed into the marshes that rested in the shoulder of the raceway. Coco blew out a breath of relief to see that Koala Kong wasn't hurt, but she knew by the direction of the ambush that it was meant for her. She frowned so darkly she could have peeled the bark off a tree. She wasn't going to let that stupid snake-spawn get the better of her. She was going to win this.

--

Crash snarled. What was he going to do? Axe had fallen behind, and obviously it had been intentional. With Raze competing for the lead, the only task that fell on the fat rat was to take out the other racers. But why would he lag behind to drive them off the track? He should be going after Crunch, Kieran, or even Crash. It didn't make any sense. However, they were nearing the crossover into the final lap now, and since Crunch was pretty much stealing the show Crash didn't see why he had to get in the way. He was much more concerned about Coco. When he glanced into his mirror, he grinned. Oh boy, if there was anyone who could take care of herself, it was his sister. She was cruising toward him at such a speed that Crash felt himself leaning into his own acceleration. So his kid sister thought she could take him, did she? Well, she could give it her best shot.


	14. Chapter 13: The Final Stretch

**Chapter Thirteen- The Final Stretch**

"The racers have entered their third and final lap in this placement race, and already three combatants have been knocked from out of the competition. None were harmed, thankfully, but the end is not in sight yet. We need those who remain on the sidelines to cheer loud for your boys, and girl, and give them all the support you can. We need a winner, and this foul play is really skimping our chances. Cheer loud, mates, let your voices be heard from every island!"

--

Crash was gaining on Raze, and with a grin he considered letting the rat have a dose of his own medicine. But ultimately he decided against it. Not because of any moral qualms, to be sure, but because he wasn't convinced he wouldn't spin himself off the cliff in a vain attempt. So he stayed on Raze's six, not engaging until he was sure he could get through. Yet as they approached the cliffs for the final time, he knew that he could easily gain some ground here. He had figured which path to be the fastest, and it was concealed perfectly because it most defiantly was not the shortest. He noticed from the second lap that no other racer's had taken this road for that very reason, but he found that by turning sharply into each corner his engine was given a substantial boost. That was good enough for him.

As Raze took the most logical path, following Kieran and Crunch, Crash weaved into his own lane. He used all the maneuverability he could managed and sped around each corner. He risked a glimpse over the edge, and gulped back nervousness. If he screwed up, it was a long way down. As Crash continued to focus on the road ahead, he thought he could hear a distant rumbling noise. Crash furrowed his brow, and took a look in his mirror. He felt his jaw fall open in surprise, utter shock and dejection actually. The entirety of the winding rock path that was holding him up was crumbling.

"Aww…crap!"

The path did not connect with the cliff side behind him any longer. All he could see was the billowing clouds of rusty debris, and the cloud was getting closer. It was hard to steer on an already challenging road when the surface was shaking violently. Crash clenched his jaw. He wasn't too far from the other side of the cliff, he would just have to put all his speed into it. He smiled slightly. As if he wasn't already doing that in the first place. Crash adopted a frown of determination as he leaned into the wind, emotionally willing his kart to go faster. For a frightening moment he thought he was going backwards, but he wasn't. He sailed onto the solid rock ground with a thankful kiss to the heavens, ignoring the chilling knowledge of having nothing under you but thin air and an eighty foot drop. He exhaled his relief. On the positive side, that close call reminded him to watch his back.

That attack could have only come by some kind of tampering, especially since these paths were strong and had been holding up for as long as Crash had been living on the island. Either the rats had planned things out ahead, or there was another party involved. Crash shrugged. Whatever, if he dwelled on all the attempts on his life he'd be a nervous wreck by now. If someone was trying to kill him, they'd just have to try their damnedest. Crash was not an easy bug to squash.

--

Coco spat a few drops of blood from her mouth as she cleared the cliff passage for the final time. She had been so utterly terrified when the road began to crumble behind her brother that she bit her lip hard enough to pierce it. When he made it safely across, her tight chest relaxed slightly. Only slightly. It wasn't surprising that someone was trying to get rid of her brother, but the increasing number of attempts on his life never made her any less worried.

The group was now entering the Tiger Temple, and Coco realized with enthusiasm that she was slowly gaining ground. If she kept going at the rate she was going she'd be able to challenge the leaders. Axe was still behind her, and she continued to watch him warily. He was gaining more speed on the straight stretches, and Coco predicted that with his powerful motor he would pass her before she could make her way to the front of the pack. The rat would probably be more determined now to run her off the track, so she had to make sure she could maneuver out of his path in an instant. For now though, she needed to focus on getting farther ahead.

Coco squinted, and caught a glimpse of her brother as he weaved around the stone pillars with the confidence of an expert. Coco shook her head in exasperation. Why was he always good at everything he did? It was maddening. As Coco was focused on Crash, she saw with instant surprise and horror that a rocky stone had somehow jetted from the temple wall. It all happened so fast that she hadn't even the time to cry out. She saw Crash's head turn and he remained transfixed on the stone, but there was nothing he could do to dodge it. Then, from behind, Kieran slammed into the back of Crash and send him propelling, wheels squealing, out of harm's way. Now Coco did find her voice, and let out a strangled squeak of helplessness as the stone crashed into Kieran and threw him into the wall. Coco willed more speed into her advance, her eyes wide and focused directly on Kieran, who was sagging in his seat. Just as Coco reached the scene and began to slow down, she saw Kieran shake his head as if to clear it and then look up at her.

"Don't you dare stop. Keep going."

Coco bit her lip again, and then gave him one curt nod of acknowledgement. At least he appeared all right. Now Coco had the added complication of dodging through booby trapped temple, but to her astonishment the stones seemed to be targeting Crash exclusively. Thankfully, he had learned his lesson and weaved through the endless jetting of dangerously punching stones.

"I don't know what is going on ladies and gents, but it looks like this whole race is turning out to be one dangerous mess. Somehow the temple has decided to enter the game, and is doing it's darndest to throw our competitor's out of the race. A nobly selfless move on the part of Kieran Bilby has kept Crash Bandicoot in the race, and it seems the track is out to get the poor guy. Keep your heads up and eyes open racers, you're almost there!"

--

Crash felt a lurching in his gut as he continued to dodge the booby traps. Kieran had taken the bullet for him, and Crash wasn't sure what to do. He hadn't been able to see if he was all right, and knew that if he stopped he'd be endangering others. After all, these freaking rocks seemed to be gunning for him. He just needed to get out of that temple as fast as possible, and when he did, he was going to slow down and stay beside Coco. This bloody race was getting too dangerous, and Crash wasn't willing to sacrifice his sister's safety over a lousy competition. And with Crunch in the lead, the pressure was off. It was up to Mr. Muscles to carry them to victory now.

When Crash shot out of the temple and toward the caverns, he swerved to a stop. An instant later, far faster than Crash anticipated, Coco sailed out of the temple. The glare she shot at him could have melted ice. They were close enough that he could pick up her frequency channel, but he wished he couldn't.

"What are you doing!" Coco's high pitched voice squealed.

Crash turned a stony gaze to the racer coming up far too fast behind her. Obviously Coco was too bothered by his stupid move that she didn't even notice. Crash slammed on the gas and felt his front end slam into Axe, and send the rat spiraling off course.

"I'm not letting these guys screw around anymore, even if I have to take them both out one at a time."

"Crash, you idiot! Don't worry about me!"

Crash grinned as Axe came at them again, still heading for Coco. Crash took the attack and felt himself shoot backwards into the rocky wall.

"I don't have the energy to worry about you right now Sis. Keep going."

Crash saw an expression of torn emotion on Coco's face before she disappeared into the caverns. Axe turned his wheels toward Crash, who was still a sitting duck with his back to the wall. It would be simple work for the rat to crush him now, but obviously the rodent had other plans. He turned his direction and headed into the cave.

"See you later, bandi-boy!"

Crash groaned.

"Pick on someone your own size Gigantor!"

The stupid rat ignored him and followed Coco into the caves. Crash muttered a steady stream of guttural profanities as he attempted to restart his failed engine. The bugger wouldn't turn over, and Crash couldn't figure out why. He was not mechanically inclined by any stretch, and after a moment he considered getting out of his kart and finishing the race on foot. He would have been very happy to talk to Ami right now. Yet, without the benefit of a professional's opinion, Crash settled on his own. He took off his shoe and leaned over his steering wheel. Then he began wailing unmercifully on the stubborn motor while shouting,

"Start, damn you!"

To his upmost surprise, the stupid scrap of metal obeyed his frantic shrieking and roared back to life. Crash blew out a sigh of relief, and slammed his foot on the pedal.

--

Isabella moved with a confident surety throughout the audience. Her blue eyes made rapid scans across the crowd, attune for anything amiss. On the monitor above, Isabella had instantly deducted that the crevice collapse that had almost put an end to Crash Bandicoot had been rigged with charges. Charges that had been set to go off on the third pass, and were targeting the bandicoot exclusively. Isabelle wrinkled her nose in annoyance.

She knew what needed to be done. She knew she wasn't any closer to finding the saboteur then she had been at the start of the race, so she needed to travel right to the source. Isabelle took a quick glance over her shoulder, and then took off toward the underbrush of the jungle. She vaulted over a rock and landed directly in her seat. With a quick systems check she started her kart and sped off through the forest to the final obstacle.

--

Crash's cart was puttering along at it's own pace, but at least it was moving. He was pretty certain he was out of the race for good now, but maybe if he crossed the finish line before the day was over he'd still get a consolation prize. Crash's ears perked up at the sound of a noise. He snorted. More rumbling…? That's never good. Crash didn't even have to look behind to see that the cave was beginning to fall in on him. He decided he wouldn't look back, after all, if he was going to die he'd rather be in good spirits.

_Just keep going, this is just a slight snag._

However no one, not even Crash, could describe eight tons of mountain crushing down as a snag. It was more of a full blown catastrophe. But Crash was never one to let catastrophe get him down. He bent his brow and forced a devious smile on his face.

Rocks cracked at the ground around him, and subconsciously he felt tiny pebbles and sheets of dust shower over him. He coughed as dust collected into the air, shrouding him as he passed. There was nothing more terrifying than being trapped in a tightly enclosed rocky cave, overwhelmed by the deafening sound, and knowing that if you were only a couple seconds too slow this would be the end of your life. The sensation sucked.

_Says a lot for claustrophobia, if I survive this party I might just become a member._

Larger chunks were starting to fall from the ceiling and Crash still didn't see the end of the cave. The imploding avalanche was catching up with him. When he was forced to begin dodging the rocks he knew he was in really big trouble. Yet as he turned a corner he felt his eyes widen in excitement. A shaft of light was visible, and it was the nicest bit of sunlight that Crash had ever seen. Damn it all, he couldn't go any faster. He had his piece of junk opened up and still he wasn't moving quickly enough. He felt a rock collide with his shoulder, so he let his numbed hand fall off the wheel while he kept his kart forward. Another rock, a bigger one this time, bounced off his back. That time Crash couldn't withhold a grunt in response to the throbbing pain.

_Let's go…come on…_

Crash squinted through the clouds of dust, and bit his lip when he saw the entire entrance of the cave begin to collapse. The feeling came back to his arm, so he snapped his other hand on the wheel and forced every bit of focus he had into clearing the fall. At the final instant that determined his death or survival Crash felt himself blink. A lot could happen in the span of a blink, but in this case, the turnout was welcome.

Crash sailed through the cave, feeling it shutter and clamp like the mouth of some giant predator. Boulders rolled around him, close enough to keep him on his toes. He shook off his dusty orange fur and focused on the final stretch. Crash Bandicoot wasn't one to dwell on close-calls, surviving was good but winning was better.

--

Isabella slid to a stop adjacent to the cave opening. She leapt out of her kart and began to circle the area, keeping an eye out for any mechanical overlays amid the vegetation. That was when she heard the explosion. She clenched her jaw. Dammit, another trap sprung. Although the cave had begun to implode Isabella could hear a distinct sound of whirring machinery. Ignoring the cave for the time being, Isabelle wandered through the underbrush, following the sound.

She wound up standing beside a cluster of trees, and gouged into one of these trees was a mechanical blinking box. Looking it over, Isabella felt a sensation of confusion. If this charge, for that indeed was what it was, had been wired to blow the cave, why was it still showing signs of power? Isabella leaned in and attempted to decipher the machine jargon on the blinking green screen.

She understood in a moment. With the widened eyes of discovery and a new focus Isabella followed the wires that led from the box and snaked its way through the high grass. Her head darted upward, and she cursed under her breath. The saboteur had set one final trap in place, a concealed landmine.

--

Crash kept his gaze focused directly ahead, and through the sand that his wheels kicked up he could just make out the tiny forms of the racers. Although he was quite sure he wasn't going to come in first, that didn't mean he was willing to give up. No sir.

Suddenly, Crash felt something slam against him. He felt himself being pulled right out of his seat and just after that he was sent rolling to the ground intertwined with something. When Crash's head stopped spinning he opened his eyes, and as he did he met the sparkling blue irises of a very familiar face. Isabella was settled right on top of him, her blond hair dusted with the sand that they both found themselves in. Her expression did not betray any concern. Crash furrowed his brow and struggled into a sitting position.

"What the hell did you do that for?"

Isabella leaned back to accommodate this new position and scowled at him dangerously, but she didn't say a word.

"What? No explanation as to why you tackled me to the ground?"

Crash didn't notice, but his kart was still shooting forward with momentum. The very next instant a brilliant flash of white light and flickers of flame exploded from the ground. When it disappeared, Crash's kart came plummeting back to the earth, as black as a hunk of coal. Crash's jaw dropped. Isabella got to her feet and dusted off her tight, blue pants.

"I thought I'd wait and let the explosion speak for itself."

Crash instantly felt embarrassed, but he resolved not to let Isabella realize it. He watched mournfully as his charbroiled kart crackled with remnants of flickering fire. He brushed some of the sand out of his hair with a sigh.

"I guess that means I'm out of the race. Damn it all."

"Don't feel bad slick, you've still got your skin. And if it makes you feel any better you didn't seem to be doing all that well anyway."

Crash looked up at Isabella, squinting because her face was just barely blocking the sun. He gave her a grin.

"Thanks for keeping my feet on the ground."

"Anytime."

Crash waited for Isabella to offer him a hand up, but unsurprisingly she turned on her heel and walked away. Crash remained there for a moment, watching her blond hair bounce along the back of her neck as she departed. He was about to collapse back to the sand and take a nap, but instantly he remembered the reason he was out here in the first place. He leapt to his feet and dashed toward where Isabella had gone. She was just getting into her kart.

"Oyi! Hold up!"

Crash skidded to a stop beside her, and she gave him a skeptical side glance.

"Yeah?" Before Crash could speak she gave him a quick half-smile. "Hop on Bandicoot."

The two bandicoots darted through the jungle to make their way to the finish line. Despite the fact that he had his arms wrapped around a beautiful woman all his thoughts dwelled on his sister, and desperately hoping she was okay.

--

Coco heard the explosion but she was not brave enough to look back. She was scared out of her wits, partly because she didn't know if Crash was alright, and partly because she knew the rats were still after her, and she had to keep sharp or be in big trouble.

_Be okay…please be okay…_

But there was nothing she could do now. She needed to finish this race. There were only four racers left, and Coco couldn't leave Crunch with two rats tailing him. She felt tears leak through her restraint, but she sniffed them back with a determined resolve. Far ahead was the finish line, and for the first time in the race Crunch was tied for the lead. Coco was gaining ground, and now the three of them were almost neck and neck.

_Wait…three?_

Coco turned her head, and felt her shock slap her like a battering ram across the stomach. Axe was coming straight for her, and she could do nothing to evade the attack. He would send her over the shallow cliff and maybe even into the sea. Despite her shock, she was not afraid. She simply prepared herself.

All of a sudden, a burgundy blur slammed into one side of the rat's kart. As if in slow motion, Coco watched helplessly as both Crunch and Axe sailed uncontrollably toward the cliff. Amid this madness, Coco heard one word.

"Go!"

She clenched her jaw and heeded Crunch's gruff utterance. She turned determined green eyes toward her goal, and shot off to catch up to Raze. The rat didn't realize she had made it, obviously, for his posture betrayed a lackadaisical slump. He'd thought he'd already won. Coco scowled.

_Better watch you back rat, you haven't beaten us all._

Coco leaned into the speed, feeling invigorated as the wind danced around her, flipping her blond hair in wild strands behind her. She was gaining, quickly. The marker that determined the end of the race was growing larger and larger. As they neared it she could see a checkered flag, being waved franticly by its bearer. When they got even closer, Coco could see the frightened and concerned features of Ami as her luster faded away to transfixed attention, almost dread.

Raze turned, and Coco was momentarily satisfied with the way his eyes widened. He attempted to speed up his racer but it was too late for that. Coco was one with the wind, and she would not lose this race. They were neck and neck. Out of the corner of her eye Coco could see Raze darting his head back and forth, first on the finish line, then on her, and back to the finish line. Coco's eyes remained fixed on her goal. The roar of the crowd faded away, and Coco willed all her strength into her racer.

Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of her brother. He looked rather flushed and extremely dirty, but he was alright. He grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. Coco smiled, and shot ahead to cross the finish line, a whole foot in front of her competitor.

--

The entire island exploded into an uproar of excitement. Crash whooped as loud as the rest of them, watching with a large smile as his sister slowly came to a stop with a beaming expression. She was trying not to smile, but even Coco wasn't that good. Eventually she broke into a wide grin as she stepped out of her kart. The clapping and cheering rattled through Crash but he hardly noticed. He rushed to Coco's side and spun her around in a big brotherly hug. Coco immediately leaned down to his ear.

"Is Kieran okay Crash?"

Crash didn't change his expression as he gestured with his head.

"See for yourself."

Coco turned her head to see Kieran standing back with the crowd, wincing each time he clapped due to his bandaged wrist, probably sprained. Coco grinned again and waved at him. Kieran returned it solemnly, offering only that little half-smile of his. Coco turned back.

"And what about Crunch? Is he alright too?"

Crash had seen Crunch take Axe over the side of the cliff, but he hadn't seen him get out. Crash didn't want to bring down Coco's spirits, but he had nothing better to say. Before he could get a word in, a familiar voice sounded behind him.

"I'm fine."

Crash felt himself jump, and dropped Coco back to her feet as he whirled around. Crunch was soaking wet and his organic arm was covered in dilated blood. Yet by a quick examination Crash could see that it was just a wee gash that the water had caught and made it appear much worse than it was. Coco didn't seem to mind Crunch's state, and threw herself at him in a monstrous hug. Crunch flinched, but to his defense nothing was more surprising than Coco instantly leaping into action. He returned the embrace with one large hand on her shoulder, and then she backed away. Crunch was smiling slightly.

"Congratulations."

Coco tucked some of her unruly blond hair behind her ear sheepishly.

"Thanks for your help."

Crunch gave a little snort and scratched the back of his head. Crash felt himself laugh. The oaf was so not-tough when he was all embarrassed. Before Crunch could make a reply, or even if he was going to, Liz came flying out of nowhere and attacked Coco with a hug from behind.

"Girl you are the most talented sister of an idiot that I've ever seen! Kudos!"

Soon everyone was coming down to shake hands with Coco, and by that time Crash had backed off to allow more room. As he settled back in the embrace of the trees, he glanced around for Isabella. She was nowhere to be seen. He shrugged and leaned back on a tree trunk, folding his arms and smiling as Coco humbly accepted the praise showered down upon her.


	15. Chapter 14: A Hero Steps Up

**Chapter Fourteen – A Hero Steps Up**

Cortex was growing tired of waiting. He desired to know the outcome of the race, and Pinstripe had not given him a report since yesterday. Failing to do so meant one thing. He'd failed. Yet he couldn't let himself grow angry over it until he heard the news from Pinstripe himself. However, he was not in the mood to sit back and wait for the call.

When Pinstripe answered Cortex's summon, his expression appeared no different than usual. Cortex leaned forward and rested his folded hands on the table.

"What news of the race?"

Now Pinstripe hesitated, but he put up a confident front. "The two guys who got into the final race created quite a stir, knocking a few competitors out of the race including Crunch Bandicoot."

Cortex felt himself twitch, and he involuntarily put more ice into his voice. "Were the collisions fatal?"

"Unfortunately, no. We'd thought the race would be in the bag from then on, but a little bandicoot girl ended up crossing first."

Cortex was finding himself grow very angry at this, but not only because of Pinstripe's failure. That little girl was undoubtedly Crash Bandicoot's sister. The same little snip that had pushed him into the whirling vortex of scattered time into an uncertain demise. Yet as Cortex considered his options from this new point, he felt a new light of optimism. This entire situation could be turned to suit him, in fact, probably better than if one of Pinstripe's men would have won.

"…boss?"

Cortex's mind snapped back to the present.

"What?"

"I asked if you'd like us to take the girl out. Accidently of course, and then we might have a chance of getting in."

"No, no. That will be unnecessary. There is something else I require of you."

"Shoot boss."

Cortex considered very carefully what he planned to do. He had other forces set in place, and he needed to be perfectly sure that they would coincide with one another. Because, ultimately, the entire plan would be a victory if Crash Bandicoot ended up dead.

"I need your men to give the illusion that they are retreating from the island, but I require one to stay behind. When the race is over and the prize is won, I want your man to destroy Crash Bandicoot."

"What about the death ray thing?"

"Don't worry about that. Your only task now is to kill Crash Bandicoot."

"Got it boss." Pinstripe was silent for a moment. "Just out of curiosity, my guy told me some explosives had been rigged on the track, apparently following that runt's progress. It turned out one of those explosions took him out of the race, but didn't kill him. We didn't set up those charges."

Cortex grinned. "No, you didn't."

"Then who did?"

"That information is classified Mr. Potoroo. You should concern yourself with your own mission."

Pinstripe was a very smart creature, and knew when to drop a subject. He nodded as though he didn't care much about the answer anyway.

"Got it covered boss."

Cortex felt a small grin spread across his features as the hologram faded away. After a moment of pondering on his exquisitely orchestrated plan, Cortex leaned for another com device. He tapped it, and instantly the pretty face of a bandicoot woman appeared. Cortex's grin widened.

"I have another job for you, my dear."

--

Isabella Bandicoot strode through the crowd without falter, looking for one specific man. The bulk of the audience had dispersed somewhat, all awaiting the fateful landing of the alien creature's ship. Isabella could care less about this monumental appearance, and instead kept her eyes open for the one she was after. She saw him sitting complacently on a tree stump, eyes glued to the slender form of Ami Bandicoot as the latter stood outside Coco Bandicoot's lab with a concerned expression. Crash, Coco, and the muscular anthropoid called Crunch had just recently disappeared into the laboratory to contact the alien.

Isabella felt herself snort in disgust at the rat known as Raze glaring at the woman. What a creep. However, she didn't let her personal distaste for him interfere with her mission. She forced herself to smile, and strode over to the conceited rat.

"Hey there."

Raze just barely jumped at her abrupt approach, but when he saw her he offered the toothiest of smiles.

"Hey gorgeous, what are you up to?"

Isabella smiled tightly. She told herself to let the "gorgeous" comment slide for now. There was plenty of time to rectify his manners later and at the moment, she had a job to do. Isabella tossed her head to one side.

"Nothing much. I've just been so bored lately. There doesn't seem to be anything worthwhile to do." Her voice was the most flirtatious that she could manage.

Now Raze got to his feet, and his grin gave way to a wolfish smirk.

"I could think of a few things."

Isabella giggled and turned away. "I said 'worthwhile'."

She felt the rat place a hand on her arm, and she felt herself grin. When it came to handling men, nothing was simpler. Raze's lowered voice now appeared at her ear.

"I could show you a good time."

Now Isabella turned around, only the barest smile touching her lips. "Oh, I bet you could."

She delicately ran her hands down Raze's slender frame, and leaned in to silently request a kiss. Raze complied, coming in closer and closing his eyes. Just before their lips could touch Isabella moved away.

"On second thought, I just remember I forgot to wipe the grease from my kart. I've got to return the bloody thing and I'd hate to have it all smeared up." She began to walk away, amused at Raze's flabbergasted expression.

"But thanks for the invitation hon, expect me back sometime soon."

Isabella kept up her stride until she reached the solitude of the jungle. She stopped and leaned back on a tree as she examined the device she had stolen from Raze.

"Now my little friend, let's see if you were worth my trouble."

--

"_This_ is your fastest racer?"

Coco stiffened in anger, and by her side Crash clicked his tongue nervously.

"I'd say not to underestimate her, but I guess you've already done that…"

"I have nothing to prove to you." Coco snapped at Oxide. "I'll make you eat those words once we get on the track."

Oxide thundered a laugh, which looked pretty absurd due to his oddly shaped mouth.

"I look forward to it. Ready your planet, we will be racing on my track."

"Your track?" Crunch growled. "Do you seriously fly around the galaxy with a race track in your trunk?"

Oxide continued as though Crunch hadn't spoken.

"We will be racing one lap, for I seriously doubt that your pathetic earthling vehicle will withstand more than that. If you do manage to win, the prize is locked away and will be revealed only at the conclusion of the race. Any saboteurs or disturbers will be destroyed in the harshest manner, so take that into consideration. Be ready to race when I arrive."

And with that the communication went dead. Crash felt himself sigh, however unintentional it was. Coco shot him an angry expression.

"Well?"

Crash knew this was dangerous, so he asked his sister a question. "Are you sure you're up to this?"

Subconsciously, Crash had expected Coco to smack him over the head and tell him she absolutely was. However, her reaction surprised him. She cast her gaze downward.

"I'm not sure."

Crash and Crunch exchanged worried glances, not because they were unconfident with her skill, but because all the pressure of rescuing the world was on her shoulders now.

"When I helped you save the world big brother, I already knew you'd have been able to do it on your own. You'd already saved the world twice. I just really wanted to show myself that I could do the same, but doing it is a lot scarier than I imagined."

Crash opened his mouth to assure her that he probably couldn't have done what he did without her help, but he knew that saying it wouldn't make her feel better so he refrained. Suddenly, her gaze snapped up, and her eyes held all the determined vigor that they normally held.

"But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try my hardest. I can beat that guy, I know I can."

Crash let out a relieved breath and smiled.

"Wow, you gave me a fright there for a second Sis."

Coco grinned, though the hesitation was still visible, and strode out the door in a powerful march.

"Alright, let's show this alien lackey what it means to mess with our planet."

Crash followed beside Crunch. The latter was grinning fiendishly and Crash smirked.

"I'll drink to that."


	16. Chapter 15: Versus Oxide

**Chapter Fifteen– Versus Oxide**

None of the weird things Crash had seen in his three years of existence could be compared with the absurdly large space craft that eased toward them from the sky. It just kept getting bigger and bigger as it descended, and Crash scratched his head nervously. He couldn't banish the lingering thought of Oxide training his lasers on their tiny island and blowing them all sky high. He had no doubt in his mind that the alien lacked the firepower. However, not getting their hands on that pesky planet destroyer would put Crash though many more sleepless nights than the threat of a few lasers. They really needed that thing.

Coco was all ready to go. Her blond hair was tied back into two braids that looped about the back and connected at the back of her head. She had been resolute on not having her long hair be a liability. Her purple shaded goggles were set on her forehead, and her bright green eyes were scanning the scene with calculation. Crash felt himself shudder slightly. How the hell was he going to watch her throw herself into danger while he stood at the sidelines? He gulped. He'd have to do it. He couldn't let on to his sister that she was braver than he was. After all, she'd been forced to stay behind while he went on his many dangerous ventures. The tables had turned, and Crash didn't like it.

Oxide's ship hovered just above the water, causing the ocean to shake in strengthening waves at the pressure. The group stood and watched at the edge of the island, all silent in transfixed awe. Crash had to remember that not all of those present were very familiar with technology and all its shiny metal appearances. He'd seen his fair share of space ships, and even he was in awe. A platform then hovered across the water, settling just before the land. A stubby robot, bolted and wired to the platform, bowed before them.

"I request only the final racer at this time. All others must stay behind until the race is concluded."

Crash frowned. "Like hell Clanky. I'm coming too."

Coco glared at her brother. "Crash…"

But it was too late. Crash had already leapt aboard as Coco pushed her kart up the ramp. She stepped beside him.

"I can do this on my own."

"Staying on the sidelines is hard enough Coco, but I'll go nuts if I can't even see you." Crash whispered beside her.

He saw Coco grin, and he returned it. The robot seemed very distraught at this.

"My orders…"

"Mean exactly nil on this island fella, back off." Crunch snarled as he too leapt aboard.

With both bandicoots glowering down at the pitiful robot, the latter began to stutter. Then it went silent for a moment, and turned back to its unwelcome guests.

"Very well. Master Oxide agrees to let a small audience onto the platform to watch the race. He believes it will better serve his victory to see your devastated expressions as he prepares to destroy your planet."

"Well, tell him that's a very kind gesture. Also thank him for the opportunity for us to boo him back to Saturn when he gets his ass kicked by a little girl."

Whether the robot relayed Crash's statement or not was beyond him, but at least some of them would be able to watch now. Now the party consisted of Coco, Crash, Crunch, Liz and Ami, along with Kieran and Keeli. As the platform hovered toward the spaceship, Crash felt a chill dance up and then back down his spine.

The platform stopped. Before them, the spaceship began to transform. A large door slowly hissed open, and as if offering a cue to the others, each side of the wall began to adopt a new position. This movement lasted only a moment as the racetrack revealed itself, and when it was finished those aboard the platform, excluding Kieran and Crunch of course, were openmouthed in amazement. The group could only stand there in stunned silence until finally Oxide revealed himself.

He was far smaller than Crash had envisioned, but still large enough to beat Crash to a pulp without too much trouble. He was already settled inside his impossibly large kart, and came toward them with a pleasantly wicked expression.

"Shall we begin?"

"You bet." Coco snarled as she stepped into her kart.

Crash leaned over and squeezed her shoulder encouragingly.

"Be careful, alright? This whole thing is kind of a switch for me."

Coco glanced up at her brother, and smiled warmly. She grasped his forearm and slapped him playfully.

"Don't worry about me big brother. Maybe this time we can save the world in time for dinner."

Crash grinned. "I like the way you're thinking."

Coco grinned again, and then placed her goggles over her eyes and started her engine. Crash exhaled slowly as he watched his sister follow Oxide to the starting line. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about her, she'll do fine." Keeli said quietly.

Crash nodded. He could think that all he wanted, but he still couldn't stop constantly clenching and relaxing his fists in numb nervousness.

--

Coco began by taking a deep, relaxing breath. She needed to calm herself down. Training in the mountains, she learned the art of meditation, and how powerful one's mind could be. She need only clear her own, and then she could tap into her full potential. She stopped her kart just before the long line that served as a starting marker. She glanced to her side, and saw Oxide staring back at her. God he was ugly.

"Are you ready to be the cause of your world's destruction, little one?"

Coco concealed her fear within herself. "Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut Hose Nose."

Oxide looked momentarily stunned, which gave Coco a little amount of satisfaction. She turned and faced the device just above the track. It continued blinking red. Coco revved her motor to warm up her engine, and from beside her Oxide did the same. The light flashed yellow. Coco squeezed her steering wheel in anticipation.

_Concentrate…_

The light blinked green. She slammed her foot on the gas pedal and roared off, beginning the race that would determine the fate of her home.

--

The platform lifted before the beginning of the race, settling in a silent hover in view of the entire track. Crash forced himself to take deep breaths.

"Take it easy kid."

Crash grimaced, and glanced sidelong at Crunch.

"My baby sister is racing to preserve life on earth by competing against a deranged alien. I think I'm entitled to a little hyperventilating."

"My mistake, panic away."

"Thank you."

Crunch offered Crash one last friendly pat on the back before backing off. Crash sighed, and stared down at Coco as she readied her racer. Crash glanced up to the little robotic light, and gulped as the red light faded into yellow. He looked at Coco, and then back at the light. In a moment the light flashed green.

Both Coco and Oxide took off down the first stretch. The first thing that came to Crash's mind was the fact that Oxide's kart lacked tires. The thing just hovered through the air about a foot or so off the ground. As Crash looked ahead of the track, he took a step back and nudged Ami. She complied by leaning forward, accommodating Crash's need to keep his eye on the track.

"What are those weird green things?"

He waited a moment, but Ami didn't have an answer.

"I…don't know."

Crash began to clench his hands again as both Oxide and Coco, still racing side by side, approached the strange green patches. Crash, and many of the others, gasped as Coco shot forward at a rocketing rate. Oxide did the same thing, but he remained completely in control.

"What the hell…?" Crash couldn't think of anything else to say.

Coco spun once, but forced herself out of it and fought to gain stability. Crash turned and looked at Ami, the latter had her hand over her mouth and a furrowed brow.

"That was interesting." Liz commented from Crunch's side.

"I guess they were…turbo chargers. Some kind of device that trap the wheel's traction and send them careening at an impossibly fast speed."

Crash would have said something like, "Thank you for your analysis, professor." But seeing as it was Ami offering the opinion he didn't.

"That's unfair. She hasn't learned to deal with a power like that." That was Keeli's voice, angry and justified.

Crash noted that Kieran was standing as close as he could to the edge, watching with an unblinking gaze as Coco regained her control. Crash followed Kieran's example and kept his eyes locked on his sister.

_Let's just hope there's no more surprises._

--

Coco's pulse was pounding almost painfully as she gained control of her kart. Whatever that green patch of the ground was, it had almost thrown her directly into a wall. It must have been some kind of speed booster. Thanks to her surprised spinout, Oxide was now a good six kart lengths ahead. He obviously knew how to use these speed ramps to his best advantage. Coco clenched her teeth and shot off in pursuit. If he could use them, than so could she.

There was a sharp curve ahead, and Coco leaned into the turn. She kept her eyes glued ahead, doing her best to expect the unexpected. Yet she couldn't prepare for the next obstacle. Magenta force fields hissed and cracked as they tangled together, creating a wall of lightning. Coco swallowed back nervousness. How was she going to get through these? She watched Oxide, who was still leading by quite a ways. He turned to the right, and propelled across a ramp and over the lethal wall. Coco noted the same ramp on the left. Taking another deep breath to clear her mind, she drove straight into the centre of the inclined metal. As she sailed through the air, the force field far below her, Coco felt a reckless sense of invigoration. She didn't focus on how she was going to land, but let out a holler of excitement as the wind whipped past her exposed face.

The impact was intense, but far less jarring than Coco had expected. It took a moment for her wheels to readjust, and then she was off again at an alarmingly fast pace.

--

"Crash, that hurts."

Crash turned in confusion at the speaker, and then realized he was holding Ami's wrist in a death- lock. His hand snapped away.

"Oh, sorry."

Crash turned back to the race, and felt his heart rate begin to drop back to normal. When Coco was headed for that lightning wall of death Crash had almost leapt off the platform. Ami had leaned in and grasped his arm, stopping him from doing anything rash. Crash then must have gripped Ami's wrist while he was watching the scene, petrified.

To his utter relief, Coco had been able to get past that obstacle, but Crash wasn't relaxing yet. He needed to walk, or eat, or…something. He was having a very hard time just standing there.

"It's her turn to be the hero kid, so stop getting so riled up and trust her to do as well as she can."

Crash snorted. Since when did Crunch get so wise? It was revolting. Crash was about to throw an insult at his patient companion, but he lost his words as he focused on the race below.

--

Coco had passed through most of the weaving turns now, and just ahead was a long stretch of road. This would be a good time to close more space between her and her and Oxide. However, before she could get close she noticed some foreign projectile heading straight for her. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, and she turned her wheel sharply to avoid being hit. What was that thing? When the black ball rolled past her, Coco narrowed her eyes in confusion. It was when the ball collided into the wall and exploded in a flurry of light and shattered metal that Coco felt her stomach sink.

--

"What the hell does that asshole think he's doing!?"

Crunch held onto Crash tightly by the arms as the latter tried his hardest to jump off the platform and somehow strangle the bastard of an alien. Crunch held him back with very little effort.

"That little slime ball." Liz growled angrily.

"It must be against the rules to do that." Ami said quietly.

"It is, especially if Coco doesn't have access to any weapons. That alien deserves a good thrashing." This cold voice was obviously Keeli.

Crash felt like passing out. That creep was throwing _bombs_ at his sister? He was sitting back while Coco took on all the danger herself, and he'd been patient (a little bit, anyway). He couldn't stand by anymore.

"Let go!"

Instead of complying, Crunch lifted Crash right off his feet. Slowly, he turned Crash around so the two were eye to eye. Crash offered the most menacing look he could conjure. Unfortunately, Crunch was immune to intimidation.

"How am I gonna break it to Coco when she gets back that her idiot of a brother jumped off a hovering platform and killed himself? That's a pretty stupid congratulatory gift isn't it?"

Crash grumbled. With a quick acrobatic twirl out of Crunch's grasp, Crash stood at the edge of the platform. Crunch didn't grab him again. Crash sighed, and stuffed his hands in his pockets as the race continued.

--

Coco frowned angrily. So the idiot didn't think he could beat her on speed alone, was that it? Coco's face then relaxed into a wicked grin. Instead of being deterred by the projectiles Oxide was throwing her way, she found herself encouraged. He was nervous, and wanted to blast her off the track to ensure his victory. With a new energy fueled by determination, Coco sped after her competitor, dodging rolling explosives as she did so.

She found she was catching up, especially on the winding corners. However, when she glanced ahead to see what else lay before her she felt a little nauseous. The next obstacle ahead was a tube that ran off the end of the road. The interesting thing about this tunnel was it progressed straight up. Coco blew out a shaky breath, but didn't slow down. She watched Oxide disappear into the tunnel and then, holding her breath, she followed.

She gasped at the sensation of being shot like a rocket directly toward the sky. The wind whipped past her face and clawed at her exposed arms. She could hardly breathe as her kart continued to propel completely vertical. She would have marveled at the amazing physics associated with such impossible gravity defiance, but she was far too sick to think about it. Finally, she saw the end of the tube. With one final boost she was shot back onto the road, and it took her a moment to regain her steering control. When she was ready to continue the race, she saw with amazement that she was on the final stretch. Instead of feeling relieved she felt absolute dread. She hadn't led this race once yet, and was still a good distance ahead of her. Coco gritted her teeth. She needed to win this.

--

"Is he okay?"

"I don't think fanning is going to do any good."

"How about a couple good slaps?"

The group of spectators on the platform was all wondering how they could revive Crash. The bandicoot was completely out of it. When Coco was about midway into the odd looking tube Crash had almost leapt off the platform once again. It was when Coco came out of the tube that Crash fainted. Less then eloquently, Crunch lifted a motionless Crash by the foot. He held him there for a while until Crash shook his head and opened his eyes.

"What the…why am I on my head?"

Crunch sighed. "You're not."

Directly after his statement of fact Crunch let go of Crash's ankle and the latter piled into the floor. Crunch grunted.

"Now you are."

Crash lay on his back for a moment, staring at the sky. The race was almost over. What would he do if Coco lost? It wasn't just the destruction of the world, but Coco's interpretation that it was her fault. She defiantly would think that, no matter what he said. He blew out a breath.

"I need to get a grip."

"You think so?"

Crash struggled into a sitting position, and stared out over the racetrack. He clasped his arms around himself and curled his toes in nervousness. This was her final stretch, hopefully he could remain conscious through it.

--

Coco discarded all emotion. All her fear, her nervousness, the thought of failing her family, her anger at the alien who threatened them. Everything faded. Everything but her determination. Her mind was calm, and her hands twisted the wheel, jinking over the track effortlessly. She could beat him, she knew she could. She felt her kart pick up speed as she forced all of her will into her whirring engine. A bomb rolled past her, and then another, and another. Coco evaded every attack that came near her.

Now she was so close she could see the chemical ripples of the gas fumes billowing from Oxide's tailpipe. She felt her shoulders tense as she glanced forward, realizing she had a minute at most to pass this guy. Suddenly, her eyes widened and without a second thought she twisted out of the way. It was too late to avoid all of the attack. It was the quick dodge that probably saved her life, but she couldn't stop the bomb from exploding into the back of her kart. She cried out in pain as the blast pounded into her arm and ribs. She bit down hard on her lip.

_Dammit!_

Tears streamed down her eyes, but she ignored them. She stepped on the gas, driving with one hand as she came up diagonal to Oxide once more. He glanced back at her, and Coco noticed absently that another bomb was readying to be released. Yet Coco was close enough now.

_Come on. Let it go you bastard._

And Oxide complied. The explosive released, and as it did Coco reached beside her seat and wrapped her fingers around her magnetic reach. It was a handy little device she'd invented to reach into her kart and grab hold off loose fixtures, and although she didn't know for sure if her plan would work, she didn't really have any other options. She noticed before that the explosives were coated with a metal casing, a very thin metal to be sure, but metallic enough to serve her purpose. Oxide obviously thought he had the race won, because he didn't look back after his attack.

Coco pointed her invention at the explosive, and in a snap it had attached to the magnet. Quickly, Coco swerved to the left to catch the very corner of a boost patch. As she blasted off, wincing while forcing her hurt hand to twist the wheel, she flicked her magnetic invention just as she cut in front of Oxide's kart. She threw explosive as well as invention into Oxide, and just as the small explosion rumbled over the track Coco cruised sidelong over the finish line.


	17. Chapter 16: Victorious

**Chapter Sixteen- Victorious**

It wasn't the cheering that erupted from the platform above her, or the bewilderedly excited expression on her brother's face. When her kart came to a stop all she could think about was what she had accomplished. She smiled, and let the feeling of accomplishment pass. Then she stood up on her seat and waved her good hand in a triumphant display of triumph.

--

The only reason Crash didn't throw his arms around his sister was the fact that she'd hurt her arm. He was relieved that it was only her arm and a couple of ribs she bruised, because that explosion could have been lethal. As she favored her right arm she wrapped the left one around Crash in a gentle hug.

"I guess you're not the only one who can save the world in this family, eh big brother?"

Crash grinned. "Reckon not. What a calamity. What will I do with all the time I'll have when I would have been out saving the world?"

Coco smirked happily. "You'll think of something."

Soon Coco was bombarded by Liz and Keeli who offered her a mix of congratulations and the horrible things they planned to do to the alien for cheating. At the mention of Oxide, Crash turned to look for him. He had better not be squelching on the deal. Suddenly, a whistling noise echoed over the track, and all turned to attention. It was the robot.

"His honorable greatness congratulates your victory, and as per the agreement he offers the prize to Earth's champion."

The robot stepped forward and presented an incredibly bizarre contraption which looked oddly beautiful. Coco stepped forward and reached for the device which had the capacity to destroy a planet. She took it in one hand and nodded graciously to the robot. Oxide had not shown his face yet, and Crash doubted he planned to. As Coco wandered back to the group, looking rather shy at this point, Crash took this time to offer his last words to the extraterrestrial who threatened their planet.

"And Tinny, please thank your slug of a master for putting a little excitement into our humdrum lives. It beat lying around on the beach."

Crash felt a tug on his arm.

"Let's not overstay our visit big brother."

Crash followed the group back to the moving platform, and as they prepared to be hovered back to land Coco leaned toward Crash.

"So, Crash, were you worried?"

"Me? Hah, I knew you had it all under control. I was as cool as a cucumber." Crash snickered nervously.

"A cucumber, eh?" Crunch said from the back of the group.

Crash turned around to face him. "I was just a little concerned, that's all. It's only natural that a brother would worry about his sister in a race that determines the fate of an entire planet. Get off my case."

Liz then started talking to Crunch about being a bully, and Ami nervously tried to step in when it looked to be quite an explosive argument. Crash glanced to the side, and saw Kieran standing next to Coco.

"Your arm alright?"

"Yeah, it's still sore, but it'll be fine."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks."

Crash snorted and turned back to Crunch and Liz's exchange.

"…your own business."

"You're the asshole, so helping you turn over a new leaf is my business."

"I am not having this conversation."

Crash decided it was time that he rotate back to the centre of attention.

"Why don't you sweethearts stop beating around the bush and give each other a nice, big kiss?"

Liz grinned and leaned toward the burgundy bandicoot. "What a right swell idea."

Crash didn't know if the entertainment of the shocked expression that instantly appeared on Crunch's face counterweighed the horribly enraged glare the bandicoot shot him afterward.


	18. Chapter 17: Conspiracies Revealed

_**Author's Note:**_ _ To those of you who are diligently following along with the story, I'm afraid I must apologize for my continuous blunders. I've been having a little trouble because I skipped a chapter in Word, so then all the chapters after that was wrong. Irritation D: Anyway, thanks to Force Walker for alerting me to my posting chapter seventeen with chapter sixteen. Hopefully it's all sorted out now^^ For my patient readers: Thanks!! _

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen – Conspiracies Revealed**

There was a celebration of monumental proportions when the group returned to the land. Somehow they had caught wind of the news, Crash suspected Aku Aku had something to do with that. Coco was showered with praise and congratulations and hoisted up on the shoulders of her anthropoid admirers. Crash held the doomsday device carefully but firmly at the back of the pack, patiently waiting to be told what to do with it. Touching the thing shot creeped-out shivers through him, and he eagerly waited to be told were to set it down.

Coco looked so happy, not because of the attention she was receiving to be sure, but because she was proud of what she had accomplished. Crash was truly happy for her. All of a sudden, Crash caught a glimpse of Isabella striding quickly across the clearing, weaving through the crowd with a determined look in her eyes. Crash had wondered why she hadn't shown up to watch the race, but since he'd been so preoccupied he didn't really pay it much thought. Oddly, Isabella headed straight for Crunch. She hardly broke her stride as she leaned toward him and whispered something. As she continued on her way Crunch only glanced at her with the slightest expression of surprise. Crash furrowed his brow in confusion. Whenever Crunch's astonishment level was at a minimum, he'd never let on to anyone else. Because he showed that briefest expression Crash realized something odd was going on.

Crash looked about the clearing, but Isabella was gone. As Coco came bounding toward Crash the latter turned to where Crunch had just been standing a moment before. He was gone as well. Crash scratched his head with one hand. What was going on here?

An unwelcome answer to his question unfolded itself before Crash could even react. He saw someone rush past him, and before he knew it Coco was standing perfectly still with a blade to her throat. After Crash recovered from the instant shock he started forward.

"Now, now." It was Raze who'd apprehended his sister. He forced a slight amount of pressure onto the blade and Coco winced. "We don't want things to get messy, do we?"

Crash stopped, feeling a hot, boiling rage fill his entire being. "Okay slimeball, if you don't let my sister go right now you're gonna get living shit beat out of you."

Raze laughed, and Crash took a deep breath to steady himself. To her credit, Coco didn't look the least bit frightened. If anything, she looked annoyed that this goon had interrupted her celebration.

"Better listen to my brother dirtbag."

Raze had another little giggle and tightened his grip around Coco. Crash wasn't sure how he was going to cope with all the rage he'd bottled inside. Raze leaned toward Coco, his snout just brushing one of her ears. Kieran, only a few meters away, stared at the rat with a dangerous expression. Raze smiled.

"Now why would I want to let you go when this situation is so inviting?"

Crash couldn't take it anymore. He started forward again, dancing flames of anger in his eyes, and only stopped at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Stay where you are Crash Bandicoot."

Crash slowly turned around to find himself looking down the business end of a handgun. He glanced up into the face of a remarkably pretty bandicoot woman. Crash blew out a sigh of regret.

"Well, gotta admit, I didn't expect you."

Megumi Bandicoot held the gun with an unwavering grip, and her eyes and features were as blank as they were when the two of them danced together.

"All I require is the doomsday device. Give it to me, and your sister won't be harmed."

"Won't be harmed?" Coco yelled angrily as she struggled beneath Raze's hold on her. "Hey moron, don't you think we'll all be harmed once that thing falls into the wrong hands and the world is blown up?"

"Give the device to me Crash Bandicoot." Megumi ignored Coco and reached out her free hand, keeping her pistol aimed for a spot directly between Crash's eyes.

Crash waited for a moment and then let out a long exhale. He glanced back at Coco and shrugged.

"Sorry about this Sis."

Crash saw Coco's eyes widen in shock as Crash turned back to Megumi and stepped forward. He tossed the doomsday device from one hand to the other, stalling for time. Just as he took one more step he heard a gunshot explode through the silence. He glanced back, and saw Raze's face slacken in absolute astonishment as one of his ears was blown clean off. In response to this new situation, Coco drove her elbow into Raze's stomach.

Crash knew instantly that Coco's predicament was taken care of, and now he only needed to worry about his own. In a quick motion Crash spun around and kicked the pistol from Megumi's grasp. It flipped across the clearing and landed with a dull thud on the grass. Instead of leaping to retrieve it, as Crash had guessed, Megumi rushed toward him with a flying fist toward his jaw. Crash leapt back, just narrowly evading the blow. Megumi came at him again, this time with a foot aimed for the side of his head. Crash dropped to his knees, and in an instant Megumi recovered her last attack and gave him a good kick in the chin. Crash fell backward, and rolled to slow his momentum. As he got back to his feet he felt Megumi wrap one hand around his neck and throw him into a tree. Crash grimaced as she held him above her own head, and felt himself baffled at the measure of her strength. The chick was holding him there with one hand.

Her face was still as blank as when she began. She held not the faintest expression of regret, just cold calculation.

"If you refuse to offer the device to me willingly I'm afraid I will need to take it by force."

Crash squirmed against the tree and offered a little grin. "Is that so?"

"You have been warned Crash Bandicoot, now you will die."

Crash gave as much of a shrug as he could manage.

"Do you're worst sweetheart."

Crash waited for Megumi to snap his neck, since he was sure she had the muscle to do that, even one handed. Yet before she got a chance, a voice spoke up.

"Gyration."

Crash furrowed his brow in confusion. Isabella stood beside Megumi with a vacant expression, glancing up at Crash with only minor interest. Crash was about to ask what the hell was going on, until he looked at Megumi and saw that her face had completely relaxed into a blank, neutral position. If the word was meant to stop Megumi from killing him it sure did its job.

"She's an android." Isabella clarified. "Created for the purpose of getting that planet-obliterating device. Her secondary mission was to kill you."

Crash struggled to get into a more comfortable position, which was difficult because he was still being held eight feet off the ground by his neck.

"Lovely. And what was that word for?"

"To stop her from breaking your neck."

"Ah. Perhaps you could call her off before you enlighten us any farther."

Isabella smiled smugly, and then turned toward Megumi.

"Release."

Crash didn't know if there was a "put him down nicely" command, but he would have preferred instead of being released high in the air only to plummet and fall onto his back. He groaned.

"Thanks for that."

Immediately he forced himself up, and was more than relieved to see Coco standing unscathed above Raze's crumpled, unconscious body. She strode toward him and shook her head.

"Is the reason you didn't hit her because she's a girl?" Coco asked.

Crash scratched his head nervously. "Uh, well…"

"Or because you couldn't get a shot in?" Isabella finished with a slight grin.

"Alright, that's enough picking on the victim. Maybe someone could give me a brief summery of what the hell just happened?"

--

A couple minutes after the skirmish was when Crunch rejoined the group. He looked a bit rough with a few cuts and bruises, so Crash assumed he'd been busy. Indeed he had been. After Isabella's explanation Crash realized that Crunch had taken on quite a few gangster rats singlehandedly. Isabella had apparently stolen a transmission device from Raze that enabled her to play back the communications. The entire hullabaloo was conjured just so Cortex could get his hands on the planet destroyer. How cliché.

Now Coco was off with Kieran and the rest of the crowd to watch Oxide's ship take off and Crunch was guarding the doomsday device. After the rout and explanation Isabella took a seat underneath a tree, thoughtfully polishing her newly acquired handgun. Crash sniffed and strode over to where she sat.

"So, I've been thinking I should probably thank you for all you…you know, did to save everybody."

Isabella didn't even look up. "If I hadn't the alien destroyer device would be in Cortex's hands, and if that happened it would not make for a good situation."

Crash nodded. "True enough. And the fact that you obviously unintentionally saved my life was just pure coincidence, was it?"

"I've heard so much about the famous Crash Bandicoot and his incredible world rescuing perils, I just wanted to see the man in action for myself."

Crash clicked his tongue nervously, he knew where this was going. "And?"

"I'm not easy to impress, and since you got yourself beaten senseless by a girl I'd say your reputation won't be ascending any time soon."

"She was a _robot_."

To Crash's surprise Isabella lifted her head and looked at him. Her eyes were so blue. A corner of her mouth attempted a smile.

"Fair enough. Just be sure to tell everyone that you were beaten by a robot that just happened to look like a girl and you should be fine."

Crash returned the easy smile. "I'll be sure to, don't worry about that." Crash stood there for a moment longer before he scratched his head tensely. "So…uh…mind if I sit down?"

Isabella looked at him for a moment as though she was studying him. "Didn't you want to watch the ship take off?"

Crash shrugged. "Seen one, seen em' all."

Isabella tilted her head to the side with a very uncharacteristically lighthearted expression.

"Take a seat."

Crash sat beside Isabella for a while as she explained, at his request, the sections of her pistol. Crash really had no desire to ever pick one of those things up himself, but the sound of her voice speaking on a topic that interested her was more then enough to satisfy him.

--

As the island vibrated under the droning vibration caused by the departing space ship, Coco leaned a little closer to Kieran. He obviously noticed, because he shifted uncomfortably. Coco sighed as she watched the colours of the sunset paint the sky with warm molten colours. She had to say that there was no better view then the sea at sunset, and with the hostile being taking off back to outer space, Coco's contentment was very much complete.

"Is your arm feeling better?" Kieran asked suddenly.

Coco blinked once and glanced at him. She wiggled her fingers in the cradling cloth splint. When Aku Aku gave it a look, it hadn't even been broken.

"Much better, thanks."

They continued to stare out over the ocean in silence, watching the massive ship fade into a small grey dot on the iridescent canvas.


	19. Chapter 18: Farewell

**Chapter Eighteen- Farewell**

"Well, I think that just about does it."

Coco grinned at a job well done as Crash looked on with a skeptical expression.

"I know I'm like, mechanically stupid. But how do you know?"

Coco closed the control panel located on Megumi's back.

"Megumi, please go get a wamba fruit and hand it to my brother."

In an instant, Megumi leapt up into the air and disappeared into the branches of a tree. Crash's mouth was open slightly as he glanced upward. An instant later Megumi dropped back to the ground with a most delectable wamba fruit in one hand. Crash accepted the fruit and chomped away at it hastily.

"Okay, I guess you've proved your point. So what exactly is she going to do around here?"

"I programmed her to specifically defend the doomsday device from being stolen, so that we don't have to keep an eye on it all day long. I'd already examined that thing and I don't want to take it apart. For obvious reasons."

Crash nodded. "Yeah, sure. That makes sense. Why save the world if you're going to accidently blow it up anyway?"

Just as Crash was about to wander away and take a nap somewhere, Jovan came marching toward them with that strong, leader-like walk that he did. He stopped in front of them and inclined his head slightly.

"I have decided that our clan will relocate on the other side of the island."

This wasn't very surprising. N. Sanity Island was pretty big, but Crash was feeling slightly stifled on the crowded beach himself these days. He shrugged.

"Alright, if that's what you want. You know this crowd isn't going to be here much longer. I've got a feeling most of them are going to fan out to find places to live."

Jovan nodded. "Our clan depends on ancient ways. I'm afraid this portion of the island has become too industrial for us. I've had a scout find us some excellent ground where we can hunt. Our first group has already gone. I've come here to thank you for your hospitality."

"Is Kieran going with you?" Coco punched the words out as though by accident.

Jovan gave her a perplexed glance, and then inhaled slightly with a hearty grunt.

"My nephew has elected to stay behind for the time being. He believes he has more to learn on his own than with his clan at this time."

Crash chewed on his lip nervously. He didn't like the sound of that, and he really didn't like the look of relief on his sister's face. He decided to change the subject back to the original topic.

"Well thanks for helping us out with this alien fiasco. Hope to see you guys again someday." Crash offered his hand and Jovan accepted it. Crash winced. Whether he knew it or not, that rugged bilby sure had an iron grip. Jovan dipped his head.

"I hope our paths cross again, Crash Bandicoot."

Crash watched the leader of the bilby clan march back into the underbrush. Crash would have to remember to say goodbye to Keeli before they left for good. Noticing Coco swaying back and forth on her heels he raised an eyebrow. She glanced at him, and her smile disappeared.

"What?"

Crash sighed and wandered away. Whatever the deal was with the birds and the bees, Crash didn't want to know.

--

The sun felt a little warmer as Coco strode into the clearing. Most of the karts had been removed and only a few unknown people still mulled about. Coco had met many people on this particular mission, and she was glad she did. However she was still looking forward to having the beachside to herself again. It made it much more difficult to train with people around every corner. Jovan already had his clan ready to depart. Crash was speaking to Keeli, and Crunch was standing by with Liz still hanging off him. Coco giggled at his sour expression.

Jovan had agreed to take the doomsday device along with them. He was confident that their clan could look after it, especially with a "reformed" Megumi keeping it safe. The blue haired bandicoot stood solemnly with the device in her hands. Coco made her way to the group just as Jovan had finished his farewell to Aku Aku. Kieran stood soberly to the side, hands clasped behind his back. Jovan glanced at his nephew.

"Take care." Jovan said as he clasped a strong hand on Kieran's shoulder.

The latter nodded. "And you as well."

After Jovan backed away Keeli sauntered over with a mischievous smile on her face. She leaned in toward her brother and whispered something in his ear. Coco couldn't hear what she said, but it made a pretty good impact on Kieran. He jolted backward with an angry expression and the hair at the nape of his neck spiked in embarrassment. Keeli laughed and wrapped her brother in a tight embrace, which he returned. Coco allowed a regretful smile as she stepped next to Kieran, watching the clan disappear into the jungle.

"So, what are you going to do now?"

Kieran didn't speak for a moment, but Coco didn't feel uncomfortable. Although she hadn't known him for that long she'd grown accustomed to the consistent silence. Then Kieran glanced toward her.

"I've never been on my own. I guess I just want a feel of what it's like before I return."

Coco nodded. She knew how that felt.

"Well, while you're figuring it out I hope you'll stick around. My brother's not the greatest sparring partner and I'd hoped you'd have something more to offer."

Kieran smiled.

--

It was strange how at one moment there can be so much commotion one can't even hear themselves think, and the next the air is filled with the calming sound of the ocean. Everyone had fanned out over the island, leaving Crash and Coco's home just as it once was. Crash wondered for a moment what these people were planning to do now. He didn't think they all had the desire to sleep all day long. Whatever, whatever they did to pass the time now didn't really matter. Crash was just happy to get his space back.

As he strode down the beach he caught a glimpse of two familiar faces. Ami and Liz were coming toward him, so he stopped and offered a half wave.

"Hey there, how goes it?"

"Rather well." Liz said with a nod. "Just wanted to say see yeh, Ami and I are moving on as well."

Crash expected as much, but he let his smile dim slightly. "Well, that's too bad. You guys were two of the few I wouldn't mind keeping around."

Ami smiled. "Thanks Crash, but ever since I got here I wanted to explore the island. From what I hear you've already done that yourself."

Crash nodded. "Wouldn't recommend it, but if you're determined just make sure you watch out for a certain group of angry native cannibals."

Ami raised an eyebrow. "Don't cannibals only eat people?"

"When I say cannibal, I'm referring to the fact that they'll eat animals. Even walking talking ones."

"Oh." Disgust was present in Ami's smile this time. "Thanks for the warning."

"Anytime." Then Crash turned toward Liz, who'd been uncharacteristically quiet through the exchange. "And what about you? Aren't you going to be pining for Crunch in the days to come?"

Liz laughed. "Don't you worry. He'll be pining for me pretty soon. I'm just not into staying in one place too long. Funny how priorities change when an animal evolves."

"Right you are. Well, I hope you'll talk to Coco before you leave. I know she was fond of both of you."

Liz nodded. "Already have. You're our last one."

Before Crash had a chance to react, even if he was planning to, Liz and Ami wrapped him up in a large hug. Crash squirmed beneath their strong embraces. Finally when he was released he scratched his head and smiled again.

"Well, good luck out there. Hope you guys come back for a visit someday."

Liz and Ami already started walking off.

"You can count on it." Liz said as she waved.

"By Crash." Ami called, adding her own contribution to the farewell.

Crash watched the two of them disappear into the distance, and then he let out a long exhale. He remembered someone he hadn't said farewell too, so he went off into the jungle, on the search.

--

/

Crash found Isabella kneeling by a bank, splashing water over her face. He came up behind her, making as much rustling as possible so as not to appear as though he was sneaking up. He stopped just behind her, but she didn't look his way.

"Hey?" He offered quietly, leaning forward slightly.

Isabella still didn't seem to notice him. Crash blew out a breath.

"Hello there?" He asked again.

Finally, she did look up at him, her eyes incredibly bored.

"And what do you want?"

Crash grinned. He should probably feel discouraged at Isabella's rudeness but, on the contrary, he found her blunt speech rather refreshing. He put his hands in his pockets.

"I was just paying my farewells to everyone who helped out with this alien fiasco, and I wanted to catch you before you took off and I'd never see you again."

Isabella grinned, a sort of "that's-sorta-sweet-but-I-don't-give-a-rat's-ass" sort of smile. She got to her feet, looking rather intimidating notwithstanding the fact that she stood a good half-foot taller than him. She shook the droplets of water out of her blond hair.

"What gives you the idea I wanted to see you before I left?"

Crash's smile dimmed. "So you are leaving then?"

Isabella's scoffing expression turned to one of puzzlement. "Yeah. Why?"

Crash snorted. He didn't know what the hell he was asking. All he knew at this point is he liked having Isabella around. Her personality, although prickled with barbs, was so appealing to him that he couldn't explain it.

"I just thought, you know, that you could stick around here if you've got nothing better to do."

To his ultimate surprise, Isabella leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his forehead. She leaned back with a small smile as Crash felt his jaw fall open.

"Thanks for the invitation slick, but the whole 'saving the world' scenario doesn't really work for me. Besides," It might have been his imagination, but Isabella's expression seemed to turn a little darker. "I have some business I need to take care of."

Isabella strode past Crash in the direction of the ocean. Crash was still rather shocked at the kiss he received, but he shook it off. He whirled around.

"Are you coming back any time soon?"

Isabella didn't stop walking. "I don't think so."

Crash watched her depart, feeling irritatingly empty for a moment. After standing there for a moment, he felt something suddenly bounce off his head. He looked down, and smiled. He reached for the deliciously round wamba fruit and devoured it as he began the short journey home.

Dr. Cortex's take on the news Pinstripe had just given him was still to be determined. The old doctor simply drummed his fingers on his elaborate chair, his eyes gazing vacantly somewhere in the distance. N. Gin was close by, slightly on edge as he waited for the doctor to explode into a fit of fury. However, Cortex surprised him. He offered the slightest smile.

"Pinstripe's failure was to be expected." Cortex explained to no one in particular. "The obviousness his men would underestimate the abomination was betrayed in their fruitless efforts. It does not mean a thing."

Now he did look at N. Gin, and the disconcerting smile on his face was making Gin very uncomfortable.

"All that must be done now is ready the next plan. That doomsday device shall be mine, and I remain resolved to the dream of finally destroying that failure. But I will do it by my own hand."

Cortex stood up and strode toward the window of his fortress.

"Appreciate your days of existence, Crash Bandicoot, for they shall not last. I swear it."


	20. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Isabella ran her fingers through her hair as she let out a long exhale. Her handgun was tucked safely away, and she was finally on her way once more. Twilight had just began to settle over the island, and for a moment Isabella couldn't take her eyes off the entrancing ocean.

For an absurd reason that Isabella could not explain she began walking toward the jungle. She strode through the irritating underbrush and used the branches as anchors when the earth was unstable. She began moving faster and faster, vaulting over trees and dashing between jungle flora just for the sheer invigoration of a racing pulse. She slowed down, and used her slight momentum to spring from the ground onto a branch. There she sat for a long time, pondering to herself.

Suddenly, she heard a commotion, and she slowly slipped through the tree to the other side in curiosity. When she saw the scene below her she felt her brow furrow. She'd led herself right back to the home where Crash and Coco Bandicoot lived. She groaned in annoyance, but couldn't help watching the two bicker about something to do with Crash falling asleep on Coco's computer. Isabella commanded the smile to remain off her face as Crash pretended to be fast asleep while his sister angrily attempted to roll him off. The smile succeeded in breaking through her reserve.

A few moments later Isabella leapt from the branch and started at a determined march once again through the jungle.

--

There was a darkness in the trees, but not a sound of breath nor movement was betrayed by the motionless being. Golden eyes cast their gaze downward, locked momentarily on the ginger-furred mutations squabbling below her. She smiled, the sunlight catching a glimmer on her sharp fangs. Her tightened muscles tingled. It was finally time for the hunt to begin.


End file.
